'Serious safety issues': Edmonton building where security guard was killed evacuated

An apartment building where a security guard was killed earlier this month has been evacuated.

The City of Edmonton says the decision to close the building to residents was made by the Residential Inspection Safety Compliance Team (RISC) - a multi-agency team including the City’s Community Standards Branch, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, Edmonton Police Service, Alberta Health Services and Government of Alberta through an emergency order under the Municipal Government Act.

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"Safety concerns have escalated and conditions have deteriorated in the past month to the point that continued occupation of this building poses an imminent risk to those living in the building and their visitors," the city said in a Monday news release.

"This decision takes effect today, Dec. 23, 2024. Given the timing, this is not a decision that was taken lightly."

City staff, police and buses were on hand on Monday morning to assist residents escorted from the building.

The city says "significant efforts" have been made to compel building management to address concerns, but over the last five years and through 60 inspections, 25 citations have been issued in relation to the building and numerous serious issues remain unresolved, including safety and security concerns, neglect of maintenance and active pest concerns.

"The gravity of the safety and security concerns present in this building were tragically emphasized on Dec. 6 when a security guard was shot and killed in the building," the city said.

"Since that date, the city received additional concerning information leading us to believe that the safety and security of the building have not improved and there remained a serious risk of harm to persons living in or visiting the building."

The city says more than 60 people live in the building, including 25 children.

The Red Cross and other social agencies are providing temporary housing and transportation for residents.

The order does not apply to the businesses on the ground floor of the building.

Residents were advised to pack what they would need for two to four weeks.

"You won't be able to return until all safety issues have been fixed," the city said in a letter to tenants. "Timelines on this are unknown."

An evacuation order issued to residents of an apartment building on 107 Avenue and 106 Street. (Nav Sangha/CTV News Edmonton)

'Where we gonna go?'

Reaction from residents leaving the building on Monday was mixed.

"On Friday, my mom paid rent, and an hour later they came and they told my mom we had to evacuate," resident Colette Heathen said.

Heathen, who lives in the building with seven other family members, says they've experienced cockroaches and other problems in the building.

With just days until Christmas they don't know where they're going to go.

"It's f***ed up. Sorry, but that's all I can say," she said.

"It doesn't feel like Christmas," another resident said tearfully.

"I don't feel safe now, because where we gonna go after the hotel? Where we gonna go? We have no more room, nothing." 

Residents hug outside an apartment building on 107 Avenue and 106 Street after it was evacuated due to safety issues on Dec. 23, 2024. (CTV News Edmonton)

Jessica Mandrusiak, who has lived in the building since April, says she has experienced numerous problems during her tenancy.

"The building has been filled with cockroaches since we've moved in. We've had to get (Alberta Health Services) and the police involved multiple times to get the things in our building fixed. We haven't had heat all winter yet," she said, adding the evacuation is a relief.

"We've been wanting to get out for a while, so it's kind of a blessing in disguise, I guess, because it's getting us out safely and quickly, instead of us having to stay here until we figured it out on our own.

"It's very rough or rushed and abrupt, but it's gonna end up being better for everybody in the end."

Coun. Anne Stevenson, who represents Ward O-day'min where the building is located, says the situation in the building was so bad, the city had to step in.

"It's an incredibly challenging situation, and my heart goes out to all the individuals and families in that building," she told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

"It really came to a point where some further action needed to be taken for that building to ensure everyone's safety. So I do support that course of action."

Fatal shooting and past problems

Harshandeep Singh, 20, was working as a security guard at the building when he was killed in the early morning hours of Dec. 6.

Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux have been charged with first-degree murder in his death.

Singh had only been on the job for three days.

Harshandeep Singh can be seen in a photograph provided by his family. (Supplied)

Another man was shot in the building two weeks before Singh's death and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The building is currently up for sale.

According to a listing on Realtor.ca, it was built in 1971 and has 36 residential units spread over three floors and six retail bays on the main floor.

The asking price is $7,949,800. 

In inspection reports for the building, AHS inspectors noted cockroach infestations on multiple occasions. 

Residents were forced out of an apartment building on 107 Avenue on Dec. 23, 2024. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton)

Reports also note missing smoke alarms in some units, lack of heat, leaking sinks, bathtubs and toilets and mold in several units.

A notice dated November 2023 for the common areas of the building noted the emergency door of the building was not secured and could easily be opened from the outside as well as unsanitary conditions.

"The landing at the bottom of the stairs adjacent to the mechanical room was soiled with human feces, used needles, drug paraphernalia, garbage, and urine," the report said. "The floor along the front entranceway had a large red stain present. The common area stairwells were littered with needles, drug paraphernalia, and garbage."

There is currently no AHS order in place for the building.

CTV News Edmonton contacted the owner of the building, who is listed in the AHS reports as Van Vuong, but he hung up upon learning who was calling. 

According to court documents, a person with the same name was convicted of changing locks on a door in 2017 and fraud over $1,000 in 2011.

Other charges, including forcible entry, unlawfully entering a premises and shoplifting under $5,000 dating back to 2017, were withdrawn.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha, Evan Klippenstein and Darcy Seaton