Toronto building that was at risk of collapse was deemed 'unsafe' in 2014: records

A building near Toronto’s Kensington Market that was partially demolished Saturday after it leaned over the sidewalk was deemed “unsafe” by the city a decade ago, publicly-accessible records show.

According to a July 15, 2014 inspection of the building on Dundas Street near Augusta Avenue, the property owner was issued an “order to remedy unsafe building,” the status of which is listed as “not resolved.”

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“The building (or part of) was deemed to be unsafe; steps must be taken to render the building safe,” the order read.

City records show that the building was issued a similar order on Friday.

In a statement issued to CTV News Toronto, the city said the 2014 order was issued due to the addition of “various” residential units in the building that did not have a building permit.

“This change triggered various Building Code requirements, which caused the building to be unsafe as defined by the Building Code Act. While the unsafe condition was removed, the order remained active due to some outstanding permit requirements,” a spokesperson said in an email, noting that the 2014 order and 2024 order have “nothing to do with one another.”

Parts of the building, including the roof and exterior walls, were demolished Saturday and the city said work is underway to determine whether the remaining structure is safe.

The top of the building's Dundas Street-facing façade was seen sagging over the sidewalk below on Friday morning, prompting an evacuation. At least 10 people were removed from the impacted buildings.

No injuries were reported.

A leaning building on Dundas Street West is seen on Aug. 16. (CP24/Simon Sheehan)

Construction workers in the area first observed the leaning building and called 911. Toronto Fire Deputy Chief Jim Jessop said that upon arrival, crews immediately established a “collapse zone” around the building, which houses a convenience store on its main floor and apartments on its second floor.

It’s unclear what caused the roof and exterior wall to deteriorate, but Jessop said a full investigation would follow the demolition to determine what caused the structural damage.