CRACK HOUSE DEMOLISHED; OWNER ISSUES STATEMENT

Known as a local crack house, the building at 810 Wheeler St. saw its
end early today as a demolition crew reduced it to rubble.

Its Edmonton owner (who inherited the property) issued a statement
addressing area residents.

"I would like to express my heartfelt sympathies to all the families
affected by the behaviour and actions of people at 810 Wheeler
Street," reads the one-page written statement by Natalie Stinson, who
was the executrix of her mother's will.

"It is my hope that the demolition of this property will help bring
some closure to a very sad story."

Stinson went on to remember her mother, who had owned the house for
many years.

"I would also like people to know that my mother loved all her
children, unfortunately to the point of endangerment. I know in her
heart she thought she was doing the right thing; she tried to be
supportive of better behaviour, she tried to maintain some semblance
of decency and order.

"Unfortunately, she was rewarded with a house full of drugged-up
homeless people who showed no respect for her, her property or her
wishes. This is evidenced in the turnout at her funeral, and the fact
they destroyed her home before leaving."

Stinson pleaded for parents to take action in bringing up their
children.

"Please; do not enable dangerous behaviour or decisions concerning
your children, hold them accountable for their actions; no one
deserves these heartbreaking consequences."

It continues: "I would like to thank all the people, who were so
supportive and helped me in this very trying time, too many to name
but you know who you are.

"Finally, I sincerely hope anyone connected to this house and/or
occupants seeks help dealing with your addictions. It is a big,
beautiful world out there; you just have to see it through clear eyes
and mind. God Bless."

The demolition came after the building was boarded up and residents
evicted by the RCMP under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhood
(SCAN) legislation early this month.

SCAN uses civil law to evict tenants from properties where there are
illegal activities such as prostitution, drug activity or
bootlegging.

Stinson issued eviction notices on June 1, with residents told they
had to leave by the end of that month.

At the time, Lesley Carberry, the government's crime prevention and
policing director, said it marked the first time a landlord evicted
residents and asked for help in making them leave.

"We were just delighted to assist with that," she said at the
time.

After the eviction, RCMP and SCAN workers found 2,000 needles, dozens
of crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia.

Like Carberry, Roxanne Livingstone, the Downtown Residents
Association's former president and a current member, praised the
property owner for the action she took in dealing with the problems
that plagued the area.

Livingstone, who provided the Star with Stinson's statement that was
issued to the neighbourhood, was grateful for the remarks.

For Livingstone, watching the building be torn down with others in the
neighbourhood brought tears to her eyes.

This was one of those rare times people can see the physical, tangible
results of their work, she said.

"Downtown residents can say, 'yes, we succeeded,'" she
said.

Since the building was boarded up, Livingstone hasn't had to deal with
the extensive dust coming from the traffic to and from the house, but
perhaps more importantly, residents who have kept to themselves for
many years are outside a little more talking to one another.

"The neighbours are all coming out of their homes," Livingstone
said.

She added she is pleased to meet neighbours who have stayed out of
sight for many years due to the situation at 810 Wheeler St.

While the building is now rubble, there's still some paper work to be
done as contractor Arctic Backhoe deals with the demolition permit
from the city. Pat Ross, the city's land development supervisor, said
this morning no one obtained a permit for the demolition.

"It will be an after-the-fact permit," he said. While he still hasn't
spoken with Stinson, he added, it seems to be a case of the owner
thinking the developer dealt with permits and vice-versa.

Arctic Backhoe was slated to see city officials today to deal with
that, he said.

At this point, the demolition permit would be needed as a way of
ensuring the pieces of the building are disposed of properly. The city
charges double the fees where the demolition permit isn't obtained
prior to a demolition, he said.

The city wants the permits obtained prior to work as a way of making
sure it's done in a safe manner and so roads can be closed where necessary.

With the building situated on the property where it was, Ross said,
that wouldn't have been necessary in this case.

He also noted that though a permit should have been applied for first,
he wasn't saying the demolition was a bad thing for the property.

Hopefully, the site will see some good redevelopment, he added,
pointing out the city has already received calls from people asking
what kind of development can happen on the lot.

Zoned as Residential Downtown 1, the principal uses allow for
single-family housing or a duplex, depending on lot size. In this
case, Ross said, the lot isn't likely large enough for a duplex.

There are also some conditional uses that could be allowed should
council grant such approval as multiple housing, he said.