Neighbours fed up with state of backyard of Fort Rouge home
Posted April 14, 2026 4:32 pm.
Last Updated April 14, 2026 6:00 pm.
Behind a house on Lorette Avenue, one can see that it’s been left in a complete mess. There’s garbage and debris scattered everywhere, and it has residents in this neighbourhood fed up.
“The garbage, no one picks it up,” said Ben San Esteban, the neighbour next door.
San Esteban says the derelict home was hit by a fire in 2023 before being torn down. During reconstruction, he first complained when the sump pump on the property was leaking onto his. Now, with the state of the backyard, he’s had enough.
“They should clean it up, the garbage is over there, and you know, when [people pass by] they see the garbage, and they think there’s something to pick up, so they go in,” he explained.
Raymond Katchanoski, who also lives in the neighbourhood, says, “People going out for walks with dogs, they could run into a site like that, and you have to go in, and it could be your taking your life in your hands when you start walking in there, slips, trips, falls, and injuries that go with it.”
The City of Winnipeg says the building permit was issued on November 16, 2023, and permits can be open for three years. In a statement, they said the matter is under investigation by Licensing & Bylaw Enforcement, and the property will be inspected for any bylaw infractions. Any violations will be addressed directly with the property owners.
“The neighbours who are complaining, they’re hopefully seeing a lot of that bylaw action, what they don’t see and what they aren’t entitled to see is the fines and fees that go along with that, although we publish our fines and fees, so there is transparency there, but that is what I expect to happen,” said Sherri Rollins, Councillor for Fort Rouge – East Fort Garry.
Rollins says she’s heard the complaints loud and clear. She says while building permits are eligible for renewal, she hopes the construction is done before it expires this November.
“This isn’t a new property; this had been a burnt-out property that they had to deal with, and now they’re having to deal with inconsiderate construction, and that’s a long time for a property,” said Rollins.
For San Esteban, he hopes the bylaw investigation will lead to something being done. When asked if he was frustrated, he responded, “Oh yeah, but I have no choice, they’re building the house.”
CityNews spoke to the owner of the property, BSA Group Limited. Over the phone, he said that the house was under construction during the winter and that the collection of garbage was due to snow covering it and then freezing. He says that they will be cleaning it up next week, and that neighbours in the area have his number if they want to get in touch.
