Apartment building where Edmonton security guard was killed could reopen

An apartment building in central Edmonton that shut down late last year after a security guard was killed on-site may be allowed to reopen to tenants.

The City of Edmonton issued an emergency order on Dec. 23, 2024, to shutter the residential part of a mixed-use building, located at the corner of 106th Street and 107th Avenue, in the Central McDougall neighbourhood. The city cited escalating safety concerns putting residents and community at imminent risk.

The order, which displaced the building's 64 residents, was issued about two weeks after Harshandeep Singh, 20, was  fatally shot in the stairwell while on duty alone on Dec. 6.

Support workers have housed half of the evacuees as of this week, but the apartments could reopen if certain requirements are met, according to Tania Gonzalez, a city spokesperson.

"We are working with the property owner to ensure compliance with legislative regulations and address any outstanding issues to meet minimum housing standards," Gonzalez told CBC News in an email.

"The timeline for reopening the residences depends on several mitigating factors, including landlord cooperation."

CBC News reached Van Vuong, the property owner, by phone. He declined to comment.

Singh, an international student from India, had recently started working as a security guard when he was shot in the early morning of Dec. 6. It was the second shooting at the apartment building in two weeks.

But the building had long been on the radar of municipal and provincial officials due to frequent police calls and health violations. December's abrupt relocation was the second time residents were forced to leave due to safety concerns in less than five years.

Over the past two years, the property amassed numerous health violations, such as cockroach infestations, the presence of mould, faulty heating and inoperable smoke alarms.

A proposal from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) last May prompted the city to review the property's business licence. Several conditions were imposed to help address criminal activity and disorder, as well as deficiencies in building management, maintenance and security, the city told CBC News.

Since its closure in December, the city's residential inspection safety compliance team — composed of multiple agencies, including EPS and Alberta Health Services — has been investigating the apartment building's conditions.

The team's findings will not be made public, Gonzalez said.

In the wake of Singh's death, Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis plans to review the legislation that regulates security guards, once an Occupational Health and Safety investigation is finished.