Asbestos stops demolition
A work stop this week closed a demolition site in downtown Kelowna.
The order was issued in an older, demolished house on the corner of Bertram Street and Cawston Avenue. About a third of the building has been demolished, the rest is still standing, along with a garage at the rear of the property.
The announcement states that all asbestos removal activities must be suspended until an order for dangerous goods and a release letter for the site have been received.
Yellow tape, warning of the carcinogenic substance, surrounded the property, which is directly opposite a church and close to neighboring houses.
The WorkSafeBC notice said the house was aware of material containing asbestos from the 1940s.
A man who claims to be the owner of Okanagan Demolition Ltd. Castanet said they had provided the necessary papers and he expected the demolition to resume soon.
He said the building will be partially demolished because it has an unstable roof and is frequented by homeless people.
A search of the Kelowna City Permit Database found the demolition permit but gives no indication of what is to be built on the site.
Other properties nearby are being redeveloped, with multi-story condos just down the street.
