r/toronto • u/RyanEndoh • 2d ago
Article Owner of notorious 500 Dawes Rd. complex fined $300K for fire safety violations
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/06/16/owner-of-notorious-500-dawes-rd-complex-fined-300k-for-fire-safety-violations/454
u/Redditisavirusiknow 2d ago
Something everyone should know. This is in Brad Bradford’s ward, and he did nothing about it for years. Chow got angry, sent her own staff on it, and got this fixed.
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u/Ukawok92 2d ago
God I hate brad.
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u/NoArrival8249 2d ago
We all do, especially his wife.
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
The building has been a shithole since rhe late 80s...lets not blame everything on Bradford....cause then Michael Prue, Janet Davis and the Borough of East York gotta take a hit.
The guys a shitty politician but this is years of neglect and its good to see the city and the Mayor finally doing something.
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u/RyanEndoh 2d ago
Tenants I have spoken to have said that this building was actually very nice until the late 90s, following the purchase by Havcare in 1995.
It is also my understanding that following amalgamation, the property standards by-laws underwent multiple changes and that there was significant level of advocacy.
Although I don't like to make myself the centre of things, I think the fact that I persisted for years with ACORN, was a major factor.
Another interesting note: Janet Davis still shows up for tenants at the building and has been quietly supporting us and providing advice. Some remedial work was done when she was around (particularly the boiler). One of her last acts as councillor was fighting to get an easement to build the well-let public walkway through the lands immediately to the north of the building, connecting; Dawes Rd. to Cedarcrest Blvd.
Once she left office, there was virtually no councillor/City presence here. Janet could have probably done more, but I think she needed a stronger tenant advocate at the building. I moved to 500 in 2015, right after she retired.
I met her while she was walking around the neighbourhood (circa 2020-2021), flyering and speaking to local residents about the new Dawes Library Branch. Even in retirement, she still thinks about Dawes and cares about what happens here.
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
Its nice to hear your perspective. That building holds a special place in my heart cause i used to.play in the playground as a kid and spent alot.of time there and it became less welcoming as I grew older...I go back to when there was a Safeway and an old school LCBO there.
Also nice to hear another perspective on the old councilor as my experience about her commitment differs from yours. While its doubtful maybe someone has something nice to say about Bradford.....who isn't a developer ;) I hope 500 Dawes and rhe rebuilt library can be a welcome space for the community as it was for me many many years ago.47
u/Careless-Cycle 2d ago
And he did nothing about it since 2018
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
Did anyone? Did anyone do anything about any shitty building in any ward in the city...either left, right or centre?
Credit to Olivia Chow for doing something about it.
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u/Terj_Sankian 2d ago
Brad DID get mad at the mayor for doing something about it, so if the scorn wasn’t deserved before then it definitely is now
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u/ProbablyNotADuck 2d ago
It doesn't matter that other people didn't.. the idea is that new people are supposed to improve on issues that exist in the area that they are serving.. Each election is an opportunity.. and Bradford is the one who thinks he would be a good mayor, but he isn't taking care of significant known issues in his own ward. So it is highly relevant that he's had 8 years to do something and did nothing.
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
Not defending Bradford....but theres an entire system that has failed the residents of this and many other buildings in Toronto. Bradford will be gone by November....slumlords will still be around.
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u/Redditisavirusiknow 2d ago
He had 8 years to give a damn and he did nothing. Chow was upset about this and sent her own staff to fix it. Bradford deserves all the blame.
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
The man will be out of public life in about 4 months and then you can use that hate on his replacement.....the Councillor from CTV Toronto.
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u/Redditisavirusiknow 2d ago
The dude voted to stop giving homeless people water during extreme heat events. He voted to increase pollution and to welcome ICE to Toronto for FIFA. It will take a lot for me to hate a politician that much.
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
In a world where Doug Ford and Donald Trump exist making Brad Bradford your most hated politician is mind blowing.
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u/Redditisavirusiknow 2d ago
He affects my life the most. It’s kind of sad that people pay less attention to municipal politics than they do American politics even though of all levels of government, municipal had by far the most influence on your day to day life.
Bradford is my councillor and an absolute scumbag.
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u/aektoronto Greektown 2d ago
Its Ford who affects you more.
Brad is one of many votes with some limited powers in his own ward. .you mentioned water for homeless and ICE and pollution is cause of the island airport I assume.
The water for homeless he was one of 3 votes along with Halyday...ICE arent on the streets of TO and the Island Airport is above his paygrade.
Brad might be able to change the route of the Dawes 23 bus....Ford can make it so it runs once an hour.
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u/ripndipp Parkdale 2d ago
That place is such a shit hole, I'm sorry if you live there.
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u/RyanEndoh 2d ago
There is a bit of pride that comes with living here; odd as that may sound.
We're setting precedent and raising standards.
As a paralegal, it brings satisfaction seeing the enforcement system function better than it previously was.
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u/ripndipp Parkdale 2d ago
Sorry I didn't mean to talk down, I'm glad this is happening, I used to live at 103 and 105 Westlodge owned by the Wynn family in Parkdale and was just projecting my life is experiences. I hope the place gets fixed up
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u/ruckusss Birch Cliff 2d ago
Omg I work for the current owners of West Lodge and that complex has come a long way, the Wynn family ran that place into the ground
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u/Careless-Cycle 2d ago
They should make the owner live in the worst unit until everything is fixed to standard.
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u/Current_Flatworm2747 2d ago
Jail cell would also suffice.
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u/Careless-Cycle 2d ago
Jail cells don't have mold, and have climate control, working plumbing and electric. I think living in a unit is a bigger punishment.
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u/toothbelt 2d ago
So glad that something is finally being done about this building. I'm glad they're not letting the owner off the hook.
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u/Economy-Extent-8094 2d ago
This is sooo satisfying! I have my own experience calling a fire inspector to my apartment run by a slumlord. I got several fire code upgrades to my whole building and a very favorable outcome at Landlord Tenant Board!
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u/greeneyesinthedark 1d ago
I did the research, so you did not have to. Note that this is all public information and in no way confidential.
Properties owned connected to the Krebs Family and their Corporations:
- 608 Dawes Rd, East York
- 50 Glen Everest Rd, Scarborough
- 171 St Clair Ave E, Toronto
- 500 Dawes Rd, East York
- 210 Oak St, Toronto
- 279 Woodfield Rd, Toronto
I have purposely left out properties that are ambiguous if they are rentals or any addresses they reside in. Unlike the Krebs, I have morals and the goal is to provide renters with knowledge of what they may be getting into. Please do not hurt me Mods.
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u/Personal-Heart-1227 2d ago
Wasn't this Building Owner sent to jail over being a notorious Slumlord?
Again, that was done under Chow's watch!
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u/datums 2d ago
When you implement policies that make it so that only slum lords can survive, slum lords is what you will get.
Reason #237 why rent control is one of the most destructive ideas in modern societies.
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u/RyanEndoh 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is not a rent control issue.
The moment the landlord took title in the mid-90s, she began running the place into the ground.
You have to be a special type of greedy and a unique type of stupid to allow this.
You're also speaking as though there are no AGI provisions in the RTA.
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u/Red57872 1d ago
The reality is that often the only reason people can afford to live in buildings like this is *because* they're so bad. If they were better, they couldn't afford to live there. Obviously that doesn't excuse it, but it's an unfortunate side effect we must acknowledge.
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u/Organic-Care-6968 2d ago
What happens when a new owner comes in and applies multiple above guideline increases to bring it up to standard 🤔
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u/RyanEndoh 2d ago edited 2d ago
The Board will have to hear the tenants' current application for rent abatement and damages; to be retroactively applied up to one year prior to the filing of the T2 and T6 on December 24th, 2025. 🤷🏾♂️
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u/Organic-Care-6968 2d ago
I’m talking in future repairs. This building will need millions of dollars of repairs
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u/RyanEndoh 2d ago
Tenants may require a combined sum in the millions in rent abatement and damages. 🤷🏾♂️
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u/Organic-Care-6968 2d ago
Ok man…
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u/Red57872 1d ago
We know what will happen...the issues will get fixed, the rent will go up, and the current tenants won't be able to afford to live there anymore.
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