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Prosecutor seeks maximum building code fine against former brewery owners

A justice of the peace is expected to sentence a Toronto-based company next Wednesday for failing to make city-ordered repairs to the former Northern Breweries property on Bay Street.

A justice of the peace is expected to sentence a Toronto-based company next Wednesday for failing to make city-ordered repairs to the former Northern Breweries property on Bay Street.

Last week, JP Gary McMahon put over his decision on the sentence to be imposed on Renaissance Place Corp. until July 8.

The owner of the site at 503 Bay St. was convicted of failing to comply with the November 2013 order during a trial held in absentia in June.

City of Sault Ste. Marie prosecutor Matthew Caputo is seeking a $100,000 fine, the maximum financial penalty permitted under the Building Code.

In an interview Tuesday, Caputo said he requested the high fine because the company's lack of action was putting people in danger.

The municipality issued the order, calling on the company to take action on the vacant building's condition, after a September 2013 inspection revealed that water had ponded on the roof while other parts of the roof were prone to leak.

The city wanted the roof repaired and all possible entry points to the building  sealed to keep out vandals.

Until the municipality stepped in and did some work there was still access to the building and extensive damage to the roof, Caputo said.

"You could see giant holes in the roof," he said, adding there also was damage where the roof connected to a wall.

"The access was a recipe for disaster."

Caputo said the city building department dealt with the access issues itself because the owner wasn't doing the work and there were concerns about public safety.

The $8,000 to $8,500 cost was added to the company's tax bill.

(FILE PHOTO: section of the Northern Breweries buiding slated for demolition in July of 2013.)


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About the Author: Linda Richardson

Linda Richardson is a freelance journalist who has been covering Sault Ste. Marie's courts and other local news for more than 45 years.
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