Failing to comply with the Safety Code Act of Alberta could result in massive fines and possible jail time for the sole director and two agents acting on behalf of a Calgary home building company.
A total of 49 charges were laid by the City of Calgary against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd., the sole director and two agents, officials announced Wednesday.
Two charges for failing to comply with a land use bylaw under the Municipal Government Act were also laid against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. and the sole director.
The charges follow a three-month investigation by Calgary Building Services into the construction of two semi-detached duplexes and include:
"This is a pretty serious case for us, it's very unusual," said Cliff de Jong, manager of building safety services for the City of Calgary.
"We've got, essentially four homes that were built without permits, which is incredibly alarming and unusual for us. The scope, very unusual, the scale of it also very concerning. And we have no verification as to compliance with safety codes, be that building, electrical, plumbing, gas, all of them are unverified at this time so it's pretty concerning."
Punishment can include fines up to $100,000 per offense and a jail term of up to six months for the safety codes violations and a maximum fine of $10,000 and a jail term of up to one year in relation to the Municipal Government Act charges.
This matter will be heard in provincial court.
The home builder obtained initial approvals for the projects, said de Jong, "but they didn't follow through with other permits."
"There's a lot of gatekeepers in the system here, there's lawyers, there's real estate agents, ourselves, so it was through other gatekeepers we were alerted to the concerns," he said.
One of the buildings is in the 1700 block of 27th Street S.W. and the other in the 2300 block of 27th Avenue N.W.
None of the homes have been occupied as the builder did not get an Alberta new home warranty, which is a requirement.
Next steps, said de Jong, will be to get the needed approvals and permits, which could be a time consuming and costly process.
"We have to do the inspections, and we aren't going to be able to do that just visually," he said.
"There's going to have to be removal of drywall. We need to be able to look at the structure itself, the wiring, the plumbing, all of that. Certainly it's possible to do, but it's not going to be necessarily easy or cheap."
The city offered tips for Calgarians looking to buy a home in the city, including:
Homeowners can verify the zoning and pulled permits for a prospective purchase by searching for the properties address in My Property (calgary.ca).
Pope Francis says the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced while being forced to attend residential schools amounted to genocide. The pontiff made the comment Friday to reporters on his flight from Iqaluit back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.
An Air Transat passenger said he was forced to pay $5,000 out of pocket because he was 'utterly abandoned' by the airline after he fainted and was denied taking a flight home to Toronto.
U.S. President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of "rebound" following treatment with an antiviral drug.
Pope Francis did not talk about rescinding the centuries-old Doctrine of Discovery in his apologies to residential school survivors. But organizers of his trip say Canadian bishops plan to work with the Vatican to have it addressed, with the goal of issuing a new statement from the Roman Catholic Church.
Chris Rock is still not saying how he feels about getting slapped by Will Smith, but he is still making passing jokes about the incident.
A new study has ranked Canada fifth among OECD countries for having the best work-life balance.
A recent study has found evidence pointing to the possible existence, at one point in time, of the famous Loch Ness Monster.
Spain has reported a second death in as many days from monkeypox, its health ministry said Saturday.
A new study has found that not getting enough sleep could have a detrimental impact on the development of those parts of the brain responsible for memory and intelligence.
Jacob’s two-year old son, Ezra Marfo, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in May 2021. Just after his second birthday in July, the family was told the cancer was spreading. After what Jacob said is too many cancer treatments to count, now Ezra needs a stem cell donation.
Pope Francis says the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced while being forced to attend residential schools amounted to genocide. The pontiff made the comment Friday to reporters on his flight from Iqaluit back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.
Firefighters responded to reports of an explosion Friday evening at an apartment in the Queen Mary Park neighbourhood.
A large police presence in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Saturday morning is connected to an "officer-involved shooting," the independent office tasked with investigating such cases has confirmed.
For the fourth day in a row, several B.C. communities set high-temperature records on Friday.
An evacuation order has been issued by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen for an area threatened by a wildfire burning about 21 kilometres northwest of Penticton.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston shrugged off allegations of political patronage and nepotism from opposition leaders on Friday.
As many Nova Scotians prepare for a long weekend, Nova Scotia Health is warning residents they will likely face long wait times for ambulances and in hospital emergency rooms if they need medical care.
The Nova Scotia-Prince Edward Island ferry remains out of commission after a fire in its engine room last week, and will be for at least the rest of the summer season, but the federal government is looking at options to replace it.
The District of Tofino has moved to Stage 2 water restrictions, meaning residents are no longer permitted to water outdoor plants that aren't being grown for food.
The popular Hallmark Channel series "Chesapeake Shores" will begin airing its sixth and final season on Aug. 14, but die-hard fans will be able to keep their memories of the show alive after it ends by purchasing props from the series.
For the fourth day in a row, several B.C. communities set high-temperature records on Friday.
An Air Transat passenger said he was forced to pay $5,000 out of pocket because he was 'utterly abandoned' by the airline after he fainted and was denied taking a flight home to Toronto.
Some businesses and governmental services will be closed or running on modified hours this civic holiday Monday.
Toronto police are urging drivers to be aware of alternative routes before heading into the downtown core today as there are several large events taking place, most notably the Caribbean Carnival’s Grand Parade.
Two teenagers were stabbed in Hochelaga late Friday night, according to Montreal police, and an adult man was stabbed in a separate incident.
A Montreal woman is seeking answers after her 65-year-old father died while waiting over 11 hours for an ambulance.
Pope Francis says the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced while being forced to attend residential schools amounted to genocide. The pontiff made the comment Friday to reporters on his flight from Iqaluit back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.
A pilot walked away unharmed after their small plane crashed in a farmer's field in Ottawa's south end.
OC Transpo is cautioning riders of the Confederation Line that an end-to-end trip between Blair and Tunney's Pasture stations will take an extra four to five minutes as the investigation into an axle hub failure continues.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top five stories on our website this week
Several stations have responded to a fire at the Old Marina Restaurant on Puslinch Lake.
Former patients of a Woodstock doctor say they are disturbed to hear he is wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant for child pornography charges.
Adam Sandler's visit to the Royal City, pediatric vaccines now available, and a residence crunch at University of Guelph round out the top stories of the week.
RCMP in the rural municipality of Hudson Bay are searching for a 5-year-old who went missing Friday evening.
A scientist at the University of Saskatchewan was part of the global team researching how COVID-19 began.
A Saskatoon man is warning pet owners after his dog was attacked at a popular park.
Algoma Steel has rejected the final counter-proposal from United Steelworkers Local 2251, the union's negotiating team announced late Friday.
Pope Francis says the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced while being forced to attend residential schools amounted to genocide. The pontiff made the comment Friday to reporters on his flight from Iqaluit back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.
With the pope headed back to the Vatican, some residential school survivors in our region feel his apology tour did not go far enough.
Winnipeg Police are investigating a suspicious death in the West End.
The number of mayoral candidates is expected to climb to 13 as a current councillor said he will throw his name into the mix.
The B.C. Lions are off to their best start in 15 years after a 32-17 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.
As the long weekend approaches, many people are heading out of town to camp, head to the lake or catch up with family and friends. If you’re staying in Regina, here are some things you can do in and around the Queen City.
Paws and Claws is an animal rescue that serves Yorkton and the surrounding area. Recently, the rescue had a surge in animals needing homes.
© 2022 All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy