VANCOUVER - The construction site of one of Vancouver's most exclusive residences is facing a review of its safety procedures after debris flew off the building during Monday's windstorm.
Will Johnston, the city's chief building inspector, told CTV News he will be monitoring construction at the Shangri-La to ensure it meets Vancouver bylaws.
"We've stepped up inspections as far as the site goes," Johnston told CTV News. "The inspections are daily."
It's the first time he can recall inspecting a construction site for public safety, he said.
High winds of up to 80 km per hour through the downtown core blew building materials around on Jan. 16, including a sheet of plywood off the Shangri-La construction site onto a parked car.
Police were forced to close the busy West Georgia Street thoroughfare for more than 12 hours on Monday and Tuesday.
A large pane of glass on the Terasen building across the street from the construction site was also knocked loose by the winds.
Ledcor, the company building the 62-floor hotel and condo project, ordered the site's construction to shut down at about 3 p.m., Johnston said.
"They restrained things as much as possible, and we're satisfied at that point," he said.
And today there were more problems at the building site: construction workers were forced to take a break when a dumpster caught fire. Firefighters were able to put the blaze out quickly.
