The owner of an “illegal rooming house” in Midland has been found guilty of contravening the Ontario Fire Code.
Earlier this month, a justice of the peace at Orillia’s provincial offences court found the owner, who resides outside of town, guilty and levied a $50,000 fine plus fees and victim surcharge.
This latest conviction stems from a second offence of failure to comply with an inspection order for fire-code contraventions, the town noted in a release.
A follow-up inspection of the property conducted by fire prevention officer Capt. Cale McLean earlier this year determined that multiple retrofit requirements continued to not be met, the release said.
“The Midland Fire Department continues to work to reduce community risk through fire prevention and enforcement strategies,” the town noted.
“The 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 fire department is also reminding all property owners, commercial and residential, that violations of the provincial fire code can pose significant risks and can result in very tragic consequences for the occupants of those buildings.
The town declined to disclose the property's location, citing privacy laws.
