Winters Hotel Fire

This case concerns a fire that destroyed the Winters Hotel in Vancouver on April 11, 2022. The claim is brought on behalf of all residents of the Winters Hotel, as well as non-resident guests or visitors who were at the hotel at the time of the fire and the personal representatives and dependents of individuals who died as a result of the fire.

The case alleges the following:

1. The Atira defendants were negligent and breached their duties to the Class under the Occupiers Liability Act. Particulars of these breaches include: choosing not to have and maintain fire safety systems in the Winters Hotel to a reasonable standard, permitting the fire alarm and sprinkler systems to be disabled for an unreasonable amount of time, failing to comply with orders from the fire department, failing to communicate orders from the fire department to Winters Residence, permitting fire exits and escapes to be locked, and failing to warn residents that fire safety systems were not active. The claim also alleges that Atira Women’s Resource Society received donations that were explicitly intended to be for the benefit of residents of the Winters Hotel. It held these donations in trust for residents of the Winters Hotel, but did not distribute the donations in accordance with its trust obligations.
2. Winters Residence was negligent and breached its duties to the Class under the Occupiers Liability Act by failing to maintain fire safety systems, clearly define responsibilities of lessees of the Winters Hotel, permitting the fire alarm and sprinkler systems to be disabled for an unreasonable amount of time, failing to comply with orders from the fire department, permitting fire exits and escape to be locked, and failing to warn residents that fire safety systems were not active.
3. The City was negligent because it shut down fire safety systems in the Winters Hotel without ensuring they were reactivated in a reasonable time, issuing orders to an employee of one or more of the Atira Defendants without ensuring that the employee had the training and responsibility to respond to the orders, failing to issue orders directly to Winters Residence, holding the Winters Hotel to a lower standard of compliance than other buildings in Vancouver, permitting fire code violations in the Winters Hotel to remain undealt with for long periods of time, failing to require the Atira Defendants and Winters Residence to replace fire extinguishers following the April 8 fire, and failing to warn class members that fire safety systems were not functioning in the Winters Hotel.
4. The plaintiff and members of the Class have sustained losses as a result of the defendants’ conduct, including severe physical and emotional injuries.

Important Documents:

• Notice of civil claim filed April 11, 2023

For media inquiries please contact Rebecca Coad, Lawyer by email at [email protected]  or Jamie Thornback, Partner by email at [email protected] .

If you think you may be a class member, please contact us via email at [email protected]  or call CFM Lawyers at 604-689-7555.

For any other questions please contact Amy Mileusnic, Paralegal at 604-697-2481 or by email at [email protected] .