The City of Vancouver says problems at an illegal boarding house weren't serious enough to have it shut down before the fire that killed three men last month.
Steven Yellowquill, Garland Mckay and Dwayne Rasmussen died when a faulty electrical cord caused the rooming house they were living in to go up in flames on Dec. 22.
Their deaths have sparked questions about whether the city is at fault for not intervening sooner. Inspection reports pointed to faulty wiring and numerous other problems.
Community pastor Rev. Barry Morris and NPA Coun. Suzanne Anton have both called for an inquiry into why the rooming house wasn't shut down.
Gordon Saddleman, who had visited the house, said the landlord was negligent.
"The plumbing never worked. The walls were falling apart. They'd done the least amount of work," he said "They didn't really care about the tenants -- just wanted to rent it out."
The city said it was doing everything it could to force the landlord to fix the house and insists there were no life threatening issues that would allow them to shut it down.
"There are a lot of things that go on that aren't aligned with the bylaw -- that are basically at odds with the bylaw. But that doesn't give the city the right to shut it down," City Manager Penny Ballem told CTV News.
Although the city had said it was taking the landlord to court, Ballem confirmed that legal proceedings have not yet been initiated.
After Yellowquill was laid to rest Tuesday, his sister Tara Lavallee is searching for answers.
"I would like to know why the city didn't do anything sooner," she said. "Now my brother is lying in a box."
Yellowquill's family believes that landlords and the city need to take responsibility and intervene in other flophouses to make sure this tragedy isn't repeated.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
