Health hazard order closes Winnipeg's Windsor Hotel, forcing out 20 residents

A downtown Winnipeg hotelwas closed under a provincial health hazard order on Friday, forcing about 20 long-term residents to find other places to live.

The province ordered the Windsor Hotel on Garry Streetclosed after an inspection earlier this monthfound significant issues at the 120-year-old building, including "filth, accumulation of dirt, [and] walls, ceilings, floors and plumbing fixtures in disrepair," according to a statement from the provincialgovernment.

The inspection also found badly damaged doors, "with some barely hanging on their hinges," as well as broken windows and substandardheating throughout the 43-unit building.

All of the hotel'stenants were relocated, according to the province's statement, which was notattributed to any official.

Social agencies, including theNorth End Community Renewal Corporation, helped some residents find new homes and others get connected with social assistance.

"Most found alternate accommodations and some had to go to a shelter until more permanent housing was found," the statement said.

The hotel was put up for sale earlier this year, and inFebruary, its residents received eviction notices telling them to leave by the end of April.

The building's new owners are working with the previous owner to make sure the hotel property is secure,the province said.

While the Windsor has a colourful history it's hosted many legendary artists, including silent film star Charlie Chaplin, whose imageappears on a mural on the hotel's exterior the 120-year-old building's future is now uncertain.

The Windsor Hotel's closing is part of an ongoing trend of disappearing low-income housing in Winnipeg, including hotels that serve as long-term housing.

A 2022report from McMaster Universityfound the city lost more than 24,000 units with rents under $750 between 2011 and 2021.