Displaced residents of a North York highrise who have been staying at an emergency shelter will be moved to nearby hotels on Friday, the city says.
The Tait McKenzie Centre at York University has been a temporary home for several residents in the past two weeks following the five-alarm blaze that broke out at 235 Gosfor Boulevard on Nov. 15.
As the city can only provide emergency shelter and support for up to 14 days, the emergency shelter will be closed at the end of the day on Friday, forcing residents to find new interim housing.
On Thursday evening, city spokesperson Brad Ross told CP24 that the building owner has found accommodation at hotels in the area.
Ross said rent will still be paid, which will cover the costs of the hotels. Around 30 people are staying at the shelter as of Thursday evening.
The Canadian Red Cross will be coordinating efforts to get residents moved to hotels.
Ross said most of the 700 residents that have been displaced are staying with family and friends.
Mayor John Tory told CP24 on Wednesday that he informed residents that "work to get the building back to a safe condition is going to take months."
The damage was extensive, and Tory said some structural concerns would need to be addressed before many residents can return home.
One person, who has been identified by family as 57-year-old Nam Tu Huy Vu, died in the fire. Six others were injured.
A family friend told CTV News Toronto that they were greeted by thick smoke at the door to their apartment. He said that he believes Vu ran inside to retrieve some property.
According to the Office of the Fire Marshal, the fire began inside an eighth-floor unit before it spread to several other floors.
