Judge’s order axes condo corporation, paves way for sale of troubled Saskatoon high-rise
A Saskatoon Queen’s Bench judge has ordered the termination of the Prairie Heights Condominium Corp.(PHCC), and has granted the administrator the authority to proceed with the sale of the building.
The city's fire department began clearing out the building in April before totally shutting it down at the start of May due to ongoing concerns about health and safety inside the high-rise.
Owners CTV News has spoken with blame the building's decline on landlords who own multiple units and lease them out.
In a court appearance on Nov. 5, 2021 Justice D.B. Konkin, issued a termination and sale order effectively giving the PHCC administrator Clayton Barry, the authority to terminate the condo corporation, and take the necessary steps to put the building up for sale.
Barry told CTV News this is the first time in Saskatchewan that a judge has granted a termination and sale order for a condo corporation.
"The owners of PHCC are breaking new ground," Barry said. "We’re not aware of this happening before in Saskatchewan."
"We’re going to have 44 condo units, those will be converted to one land title and owners will have a share of the title."
The court order also extends Barry’s role as the PHCC administrator for another 180 days beginning Nov. 23.
In Sept., Barry issued a cash-call to the condo owners of Prairie Heights seeking thousands of dollars in levies to help fund repairs for the now vacant and barricaded condo tower on 20th Street West.
The Prairie Heights building is in disrepair, with many outstanding issues and garbage visibly littering hallways and stairwells. (Francois Biber/CTV Saskatoon)
The list of repairs included fixing the elevator, eradicating a cockroach infestation, fixing fire suppressions systems and cleaning up biohazard and human waste.
Barry said no condo owners paid up.
Prospective buyers reaching out
In the judge’s order, Barry has been granted the authority to take all the steps necessary to list the building for sale and begin taking offers.
Barry said he’s already fielded a number of calls from prospective buyers. The judge’s order states the building cannot be sold for any amount less than $1.495 million.
"I’m hoping to find a buyer who can turn it into a place people want to call home," Barry said in a telephone interview. "It’s big for the community because it’s going to create some renewal in that part of the city."
The building is being sold as-is, according to Barry, and once the sale is finalized, an excess of $90,000 from the sale will be paid to the City of Saskatoon for outstanding repairs done earlier this year, services provided by the Saskatoon Fire Department and the Saskatoon Police Service, plus outstanding utility bills and tax arrears that have been building up for some of the condo owners.
"Tragic side is, we still have owners that lost their home, they had nice units, and that’s hard to get past," Barry said.
The tower was officially boarded up by the Saskatoon Fire Department in May after inspections found a slough of issues creating an unsafe living space. Fire inspectors found hazards including suites with no water service, sewer waste backup and missing copper wire in some suites, according to the department.
Missing oven doors and ovens being used as a heating source and human waste, were also found according to the department.
Once those outstanding bills are paid, condo owners will be able to make submissions for how much each owner should receive from the sale of the building, Barry said.
“We don’t know when it’s going up for sale, it could be as early as next week,” he said.
Prairie Heights has been a hotspot for crime with police recording 410 calls for service in 2020.
Surveillance video captured inside the tower painted a startling picture of the challenges residents faced there.
One resident who spoke with CTV News in February said he slept with a sword within reach because he feared for his safety.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Wildfire smoke from Canada disrupts New York, Philadelphia flights
Some flights into the New York City area on Wednesday were delayed and some briefly halted because of reduced visibility from wildfire smoke from Canada.

Trudeau shows no interest in compromising with Meta, Google over online news bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over a Liberal bill that would make them pay for Canadian journalism that helps the companies generate revenue.
WATCH | Rate hike 'may be the last straw' for some homeowners: mortgage broker
With the latest hike bringing Canada's key interest rates to levels not seen since 2001, one mortgage broker is warning that it may be 'the last straw' for some homeowners with variable mortgages.
opinion | Eight takeaways from Prince Harry's seven hours on the witness stand
It's been a busy, tumultuous few days for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex as he took his place on the witness stand in his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers. Here are royal commentator Afua Hagan's top takeaways from his two-day grilling.
Bank of Canada ends pause on hikes, raises policy rate by 25 basis points
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January.
Wrestling icon The Iron Sheik dead at 81
World Wrestling Entertainment legend The Iron Sheik has died. He was 81.
Have rising home prices driven you to leave Canada? We want to hear from you
The Bank of Canada's latest decision to raise its key interest rate comes at a time when many are struggling to afford their homes. CTVNews.ca wants to hear from people in Canada who are going to great lengths to find affordable housing.
Wildfire smoke blankets Ontario, Quebec, air quality plummets, affects activities
Poor air quality is forecast to persist into the weekend across parts of Ontario, as plumes of wildfire smoke blanket the province and prompt school boards to limit outdoor activities.
Feds looking at options for a national disaster response agency as wildfires rage
The federal government is studying options for creating a new national disaster response agency.