Due to two serious incidents at 650 Parliament St. and 260 Wellesley St. E. Toronto Fire Services (TFS) and Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS), along with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), have identified concerns about the reliability and fire risks of the electrical systems in a number of apartment buildings with similar designs and equipment.

As a result of these concerns, comprehensive inspections of these buildings have been initiated. This will include inspections of each building’s main electrical distribution system. Fourteen buildings owned by Parwell Investments Inc. and Bleeman Holdings Inc. have been identified for a first round of inspections.

What Residents Need to Know

Residents will be notified their building is being inspected by the building owner at least 24 hours in advance. The building owner is also responsible for communicating with residents throughout any power outage.

The electrical system inspection process requires that the electrical power to the building be completely disconnected for a minimum of 12 hours and the building will have no electricity, heat, water or elevator service for the duration of the inspection and any necessary repairs of the building’s electrical system.

Both ESA and the City of Toronto are committed to safely restoring power to the building as soon as possible. In the event repairs are needed before power can be restored, the ESA will provide direction to the property owner.

During the inspection, the safety of residents and workers is the top priority.

Learn how to prepare for the power and water outage.

Read this fact sheet about safely using alternative heating during a power outage.