Eight months after a coroner’s inquest examining a fatal fire at an illegal Vancouver rooming house, the provincial government has completed its response.
Only one of three recommendations has been acted on.
The first asked the Ministry of Health to review drug protocols at hospitals… ensuring medications needed for fire victims are easily accessible.
That’s been done, but another – suggesting penalties be increased against property owners who fail inspection – has been relegated to the City of Vancouver.
Government staff say municipalities currently have the power to issue fines for bylaw infractions… and escalate penalties for ongoing offences.
As for calls to set up a municipal court to enforce bylaws, BC currently has no municipal court system… and we’re not getting one.
Government staff say disputes can be resolved by an independent adjudicator…. something the City of Vancouver has been doing since February of last year.
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