The Buffalo Hotel is at the corner of Ross Street and 51 Avenue. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

inspections failed, charges laid

Buffalo Hotel providing housing, plagued by building code issues

May 10, 2021 | 6:00 AM

It’s not been smooth sailing at the Buffalo Hotel for the last year.

In January 2020, the Buffalo and its owner, Potter’s Hands Development Ltd., said goodbye to dozens of residents who’d lived there for years through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), who moved to Amethyst House.

New tenants have been living at the Buffalo since June.

An inspection carried out June 25 by Red Deer Emergency Services, The City of Red Deer and Alberta Heath Services failed due to what Fire Marshall Tim Kivell says were “numerous significant deficiencies.”

Another inspection August 20 passed, but a follow-up on November 3 failed again.

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Kivell says more frequent inspections will be the norm going forward to ensure public safety.

Property Manager Seth Schalk with Potter’s Hands Development admits there have been troubles at the Buffalo.

“Clients housed in the previous program caused great damage to rooms and that’s why we’ve done extensive renovations again in order to bring those to a standard we feel necessary to house any individual,” he explains.

“Another of our buildings, at 4935-51 Street, closed down [a few months] ago, due to our inability to keep the homeless population out of the common spaces. We’ve hired security to remove individuals, but as soon as they leave, crow bars and power tools are used to find a way into the building. Unfortunately, the maintenance has ended up costing more money than any rent collected, so we deemed the building unviable for the foreseeable future.”

The Buffalo isn’t yet facing the same fate, but Schalk says this problem exists throughout the downtown – an area where he feels the municipality should allocate additional resources.

When The City asked Potter’s Hands to buy the Buffalo 12 years ago, Schalk says there was a plan to end homelessness. He laments what he says is a shortfall in attempts to resolve the root of that problem.

“Mental health and addiction issues have grown worse and not enough has been done to combat the illnesses our homeless face. There’s a tremendous need for housing for this population and very little options,” he suggests.

“We’d love if this population didn’t need our buildings. But until there’s enough support for them, there’s a gap we feel called to fill. We know we won’t fix a lot of individuals’ issues, but we also know that without a place to live, people are dying on the streets.

“There has to be an understanding that these lives matter.”

The Buffalo Hotel, which was built in 1903 before having the west end added on in 1939, currently offers 39 rentals.

Potter’s Hands currently faces 11 charges under the National Fire Code and Safety Codes Act.

Three counts are linked to the Buffalo’s Nov. 3 inspection, two for not ensuring working door hardware, and a third for permitting combustible materials to accumulate in an exit area.

Eight charges are tied to the shuttered 51 Street building, including five for not doing proper inspections of smoke alarms, one for not maintaining an obstruction-free exit, one for not repairing a damaged laundry room closure, and one for not repairing a damaged fire separation in a second floor hallway.

Their next court appearance is May 19, where they’ll be asked to enter pleas.

Potential penalties range from $100,000 and six months imprisonment for a first offence, to $500,000 and one year imprisonment for subsequent violations, per charge.

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“These offences are common maintenance issues we deal with daily. The issues weren’t only in the process of being fixed before the fire department arrived, but were repaired completely before end of day,” Schalk explains.

“Until recently, Potter’s Hands had more than 20 years of service without one fine. Since the downtown fire last summer, the goal posts seem to have been moved, and what was considered normal deficiencies that required time to repair have become immediate fines.”

Schalk alludes to a massive blaze last August at 5129-50 Avenue, where Potter’s Hands also managed apartments, mere blocks from the other two buidings in question.

“Due to the inconclusive results of the fire investigation and factors learned during the investigation, Red Deer RCMP concluded the file [in February] without laying charges,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.

“We’ve always made it our mandate to comply with the fire department and that won’t change. People’s safety is always our number one priority,” says Schalk, noting that at the Buffalo, and any other building they own, there’s a manager living on-site, and two to three workers putting in 50 hours weekly.

“Housing people in the Buffalo isn’t only safer for each individual living there, but also creates less traffic around the city and specifically downtown. If the Buffalo were to shut down and no other agencies covered the gap, there’d be 30-40 more people sleeping on the streets.”