Winnipeg Beach is trying a new strategy to deal with vacant, derelict or unsightly buildings – it’s called a bylaw blitz. In the 66 years Mark Moser has been an off-and-on resident in Winnipeg Beach, he’s noticed some properties start to stick out from the rest of the town. “I think the places stand out, and I think Winnipeg Beach would benefit if people took better care of the properties that are not being looked after,” Moser said.
It’s an issue Winnipeg Beach Mayor Pam Jackson has heard from residents. “We had a lot of community members talking about concerns around derelict properties and unkempt properties and wanting something to be done about it,” she said. That’s what has prompted this bylaw blitz.
Over the next few months, hired Commissionaires will be driving around town and proactively looking for vacant derelict or unsightly properties in violation of bylaws. Jackson said there will be a grace period for those properties found to be in violation of a bylaw. During the blitz, no complaints will be needed for the town to take action.
It’s a departure from the usual complaint-based system the town has employed, but it’s a move Jackson said will avoid neighbourhood conflicts. “A neighbour would have to call on a neighbour and complain about them and that just causes way too much division in the community,” Jackson said. It’s for that same reason the town has opted to hire Commissionaires for the task, rather than sending the town’s bylaw .
