Owner’s inaction leaves demolition of fire-gutted Dairy Queen to city hall
Fire ravaged and forgotten, the remains of a former Dairy Queen may soon have a date with the wrecking ball.
On Aug. 10, city officials issued a Property Standards Order to make the building at 421 Wharncliffe Road South safe — but due to inaction by the owner, civic administration now recommend the municipality demolish what remains at the owner’s expense.
“It’s dangerous. It’s a safety hazard,” says Coun. Shawn Lewis who noted gaps in a temporary construction fence and other signs that people have been entering the charred building.
He says there is no time for delay.
“Eventually we do recoup the cost of the demolition either through property taxes or through sale of the land,” adds Lewis.
Coun. Shawn Lewis, seen outside the fire-gutted Dairy Queen on 421 Wharncliffe Road South on Sept. 28, 2022, wants to speed up the demolition of derelict buildings. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
A pair of suspicious fires in December and July gutted the building.
According to a report to city council’s Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee, “The building is not considered a heritage resource, nor is it within a heritage district.”
Explaining that derelict building can blight neighbourhoods across the city, Lewis says when property owners refuse to take action, he’d like to see an accelerated process for municipal intervention.
“There are more buildings on the demolition list that we will see at the committee next week. To me the sooner we can get these dealt with the better,” he says.
London police say their investigation into the fires is ongoing.
The CAPS Committee will consider the demolition on Oct. 4.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.