Tragic Fire in Our Community
Published: March 08, 2008
The Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Associations of Resident Homeowners Inc. would like to express sincere condolences to the families and friends of the five victims, two adults and three children, of the fire at 129 Broadway Ave. On behalf of the AWWCA community, we are making a donation to the Hamilton Professional Firefighters Association in memory of the five victims.
This tragic fire in our community highlights the need for a city-wide licensing program for rental housing. The AWWCA has long been advocating such a program in order to set and regulate higher safety standards for tenants in our community. It is urgent that we continue working with our community partners to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated.
Last summer, AWWCA vice-president Ira Rosen, in partnership with the McMaster Students Union, McMaster University, and the Westdale Business Improvement Area, approached Hamilton Emergency Services to do a fire-safety audit of a sample of detached houses in our community, both rental and owner occupied. Ward 1 Councillor Brian McHattie acted as liaison for these meetings. The audit began in September and has been completed; the results will be presented to City Council soon.
John Wigle, president AWWCA
Author: John Wigle