CBRM to ask province for help with cost of cleaning up derelict properties

Tom Ayers · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 16, 2025 3:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Cape Breton Regional Municipality plans to inquire the state for assistance cleaning up derelict properties aft fires destroyed two structures successful Glace Bay past week, underscoring the information of old, vacant buildings.

Officials say the municipality simply can't spend to tackle the ample fig of properties successful CBRM that request attention.

"Unfortunately, statistically, I deliberation we are in Nova Scotia the highest per capita with hundreds of vacant properties, unsafe and unsightly, and successful the midst of trying to grow, we're trying to woody with immoderate of the blights of the past," Mayor Cecil Clarke said.

"The 2 caller operation fires successful Glace Bay conscionable highlighted the interaction of abandoned properties and ... what it means to the bottommost line."

A fire on July 10 took retired an bare warehouse adjacent to an progressive food plant and several hours later, a abstracted blaze consumed the erstwhile Morrison school, which is surrounded by homes.

Clarke said the outgo of demolishing the remains of the erstwhile schoolhouse unsocial is astir $300,000, and that's wealth CBRM apt volition not beryllium capable to retrieve from the gathering owner.

According to provincial spot records, the gathering is owned by the non-profit Glace Bay & Area Y's Men & Women's Club.

A CBRM spokesperson said the gathering was up for taxation merchantability with $87,400 successful taxes and different costs owing to the municipality.

It went to taxation merchantability 3 times implicit the past twelvemonth and was not sold. It was scheduled to spell up again aboriginal this month with the terms reduced to $7,900, which is simply a year's outstanding taxes.

However, whether it makes it to the adjacent taxation merchantability is present successful uncertainty due to the fact that of the fire.

At Tuesday's assembly meeting, Coun. Dave MacKeigan got unanimous support from his colleagues to person the politician scope retired to the curate of municipal affairs to question fiscal help.

There are astir 400 derelict properties successful CBRM. The municipality removes up to 80 a twelvemonth from the list, but others get added to the database each year, arsenic well.

Most are bare homes, but astir 10 per cent are ample commercialized buildings. Others are erstwhile schoolhouse buildings that erstwhile belonged to the province — thing that should beryllium kept successful mind, said Deputy Mayor Eldon MacDonald.

"We bash not person the fiscal capableness and resources to woody with them, and I deliberation information should beryllium fixed that it was their buildings successful the past and it should stay their responsibility," MacDonald said.

Clarke said helium intends to inquire for a gathering with the state arsenic soon arsenic possible.

The Glace Bay Volunteer Fire Department has been preparing and practising with different departments for astatine slightest 2 years successful lawsuit of a occurrence astatine the erstwhile Morrison school.

Ten departments responded to the alarm call, providing extortion for neighbouring homes.

No 1 was wounded and nary different properties were damaged successful the fires, but Clarke said the adjacent incidental could extremity successful tragedy.

"All it would instrumentality is simply a alteration successful upwind absorption and we could beryllium talking a overmuch larger catastrophe and a overmuch much pressing treatment with the minister," helium said.

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