Owner found guilty of failing to maintain smoke alarms, not complying with inspection order
On Thursday, March 7, 2024, the justice of the peace of the Orillia Provincial Offences Court found the owner of an illegal rooming house in Midland guilty of contraventions of the Ontario Fire Code.
The owner, who is not a Midland resident, was found guilty and subsequently fined $16,500, plus fees and victim surcharge, for failure to maintain smoke alarms, as well as failure to comply with an inspection order for contraventions of Section 9.3 of the Ontario Fire Code. A complaint inspection of the property was conducted by fire prevention officer Cale McLean in March of 2023. During that inspection it was determined that there were no smoke or carbon monoxide alarms in the basement unit and multiple retrofit requirements of Section 9.3 of the Ontario Fire Code were not met.
The Midland Fire Department continues to work to reduce community risk through fire prevention and enforcement strategies. The Midland Fire Department is committed to ensuring that appropriate measures are being taken by property owners to achieve fire safety through compliance with the Ontario Fire Code and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. The Midland Fire Department would also like to remind all property owners, commercial and residential, that violations of the Ontario Fire Code can pose significant risks and can result in very tragic consequences for the occupants of those buildings.