Derelict Property 1511 Hastings St.
This morning while my wife and I were having coffee, I looked at her and realized how lucky I am to be married to this wonderful lady. Unfortunately, we live next door to an abandoned house that has been left to decay, maybe in part because the city was licensing the house as a kennelling facility. Could this be why the owners abandoned the property 16 years ago after the smell got too bad and the interior became unliveable?
During this time, we were repeatedly told there was nothing the city could do because they had a kennelling licence. So the house was the kennelling facility?
DOG BYLAW
Bylaw No. 4495
Date of Passage November 16, 1987
22. The operation of any kennel within the City shall be subject to approval from the Medical Health Officer for the City, and the kennel shall comply with the provisions of any City of Moose Jaw Zoning Bylaw relating to the operation of kennels within the City.
(d) "Kennel" means any structure, but does not include:
(ii) the dwelling house of an ordinary member of the Canadian Kennelling Club.
Zoning Bylaw 5346
6.1
R5 Residential (Acreage)
R7 Residential (Fringe Area)
My wife was terrified of a fire, because kids were able to enter through the back patio door. One evening my wife thought she heard kids in the house and she called the police. Two young officers entered the back door but quickly exited out the front door hacking and gagging, and spitting up on the front lawn. The officers asked me to fasten plywood on the patio door so no one could enter the house.
From this point on, I chased the kids out of the yard. This was also the first time I called the fire department, to ask for a fire inspection, I was told “they couldn’t go on the property because of the regulations.”
I called bylaw enforcement and a kind lady was able to clean up the yard but apologized because she couldn’t do more. I appreciated this lady’s honesty and will always respect her for trying to help.
Eleven years ago, I spoke with a local realtor who came up and gave me an opinion on the properties effect on the sale of our property.
- We could lose from $10,000 to $30,000.
- That’s if we could get someone to make an offer on our home.
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND NUISANCE BYLAW Bylaw 5484
(n) “Nuisance” means a Property that:
(iii) Substantially depreciates the value of other land or improvements in the vicinity.
I again called the fire department for a fire inspection, the kind lady had to check, but again I was told, “the fire inspector couldn’t go on the property”; you guessed it because of the regulations.
I was able to get a fire inspection after I called the local MLA, the inspector was from Regina.
- The house shouldn’t be here.
- We could lose a substantial portion of our home in the event of a fire.
We’ve lived next to this property over 30 years; 1500 Hastings has never been a fringe or acreage area.
I decided to go public because various city officials use silence, misinformation and lying rather than seriously dealing with this property.
The city of Moose Jaw is a wonderful city, but city hall needs a serious shakeup.
I will expose those that have done little or nothing and compliment those that have tried to help us “resolve” this Derelict Property over the next while.
-- Carter Currie
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
