Falls councillor pleads guilty to fire-code charges
Niagara Falls city Coun. Wayne Campbell pleaded guilty to two charges and was fined $1,000 for fire-code violations in a rental property.
Campbell was one of three residential landlords in the city who were convicted of offences related to failing to install or maintain smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms in their rental properties.
The matters were dealt with in provincial offences court this week.
The Niagara Falls Fire Department issued a press release Thursday, stating the property owners of the Caravan Inn Motel on Lundy’s Lane pleaded guilty to fire-code charges related to a fire-alarm system that was not maintained.
The owners were fined $2,000.
The fire department detailed certain information surrounding the three residential landlords, but did not release their names or addresses.
The Niagara Falls Review learned one of the landlords was Campbell.
“I’m still operating on the basis that this was a vendetta against me because of my stance on the firepit bylaw,” Campbell told The Review.
“I firmly believe that we were hoodwinked.”
In one case, a trial was held and the landlord was found guilty and fined $4,000. A fire had occurred at the rental property.
In a separate trial, another landlord was found guilty and fined $1,000.
In the third case, the landlord pleaded guilty to two charges and was subsequently fined $1,000.
“Early warning devices such as smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms are completely necessary to alert occupants to fire and carbon-monoxide emergencies,” said fire Chief Jim Boutilier.
“Occupants need to be alerted so they can safely escape these dangerous situations.”
The fire department noted failure to comply with the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code can result in fines of up to $50,000 and/or one year in jail for an individual, and up to $100,000 for a corporation.
Campbell said he has three units that he rents to people in need.
He said he believes he had a duediligence defence, but was facing roadblocks and would have had to go through too much bureaucracy.
Campbell said he was convinced by his wife to plead guilty due to the stress it was causing.
“The charge was laid in September (2016) while we were away, and we didn’t get a summons to go to court until January/February. They did not contact us one time in that entire period.”
Campbell said he makes sure the apartments are safe.
During the heated debate about whether or not to allow backyard fires in recent years, Campbell supported allowing residents to have small, controlled recreational fires.
Last year, council decided to maintain the municipality’s bylaw that has been in place since 1972, banning residents from having recreational backyard fires with wood.
But a loophole in the fire code allows for wood to be used for cooking purposes. Once the food is cooked, the fire should be put out.
Politicians directed staff to update the existing bylaw and beef up ways to deal with nuisance complaints.