Rogers is fighting back against a $25 million lawsuit over a 2023 Winnipeg apartment fire, pointing the finger at outside contractors instead of accepting any responsibility.
The lawsuit was filed by East Village Holdings Inc., which owns the high-rise at 221 Stradbrook Ave. known as The Spot at East Village. The building owner claims a fire that broke out on the roof on August 17, 2023 was caused by defective batteries and a faulty extension cord left behind during Rogers’ equipment installation. Rogers had leased the rooftop space to set up cellular and communications gear.
The lawsuit claims that the telecom project required installation teams to run heavy cabling and protective conduit all the way from the roof down to the ground level. Workers also brought a variety of supplies, installation gear, and backup batteries onto the roof starting months before the incident.
According to the legal documents, the fire was directly triggered by these stored materials. The building owner specifically points to defective batteries and a faulty extension cord left on the rooftop as the source of the blaze.
The fire forced around 200 tenants out of their homes. The flames stayed on the roof, but heavy rainfall afterward leaked into the building and knocked out the main electrical system, leaving the whole complex uninhabitable for an extended stretch. The building owner is seeking $25 million to cover structural repairs, the failure of the rooftop waterproofing system, and lost rental income, according to CTV News.
In its seven-page statement of defence, Rogers denies any negligence or breach of contract, saying its equipment was defect-free, safe, and installed to industry standards. The company also argues that if it is found liable at all, any payout should be reduced because the repairs actually left the building in better shape than it was before.
Rogers is putting the blame on an Ontario-based telecom contractor it hired in 2019 to handle the actual installation work, pointing to a service agreement where that contractor agreed to cover losses caused by its own staff or subcontractors. Rogers has also launched a crossclaim under Manitoba law, going after the other contractors involved for any damages a court might eventually award.
None of the allegations from either side have been tested or proven in court.
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