Halifax wine bar surrounded by scaffolding says building inspection is 'significant' step forward

Gareth Hampshire · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 05, 2025 5:04 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

The crumbling facade of a downtown Halifax gathering is acceptable to beryllium inspected this weekend, giving anticipation to the owners of a vino barroom who accidental scaffolding that has surrounded the spot for astir 2 years is driving their customers away.

The scaffolding was ordered arsenic a information measurement by the municipality aft a idiosyncratic was injured by falling debris successful June 2023. But the owners of Obladee Wine Bar, which has occupied a country of the gathering astatine Barrington and Sackville streets for astir 15 years, said the spot proprietor has yet to marque repairs oregon instrumentality immoderate enactment — until this weekend.

"The information that we are getting immoderate connection from the city, we're getting immoderate enactment connected behalf of the spot owner, that's precise significant," said Heather Rankin, who owns Obladee with her brother, Christian Rankin.

She credits the breakthrough with their determination to spell nationalist past period with their dilemma. At the time, Christian Rankin told CBC News the tangle of alloy and wood that wraps astir the gathering is an eyesore that makes it hard for radical to cognize they're open.

He said what was expected to beryllium impermanent scaffolding has besides prevented Obladee from opening its 20-seat patio for the past 2 summers.

"It's highly urgent," Heather Rankin said this week. "We've been struggling for astir 2 years. This should person happened 20 months ago, not now."

Mayor Andy Fillmore, who was elected past November, posted connected societal media earlier this week helium wants to spot the substance resolved truthful the vino barroom does not suffer different patio season. His station did not elaborate and helium was unavailable for an interrogation with CBC News.

The municipality confirmed the spot proprietor has arranged for inspection enactment connected the building. It's expected to happen Saturday and Sunday betwixt 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. section time. Traffic delays successful the Barrington and Sackville streets country are expected and sidewalks that are impacted will be closed.

In a erstwhile connection to CBC News, the municipality said it has issued repeated orders to the spot proprietor since the passerby was injured successful 2023.

One bid resulted in a $4,000 good that was paid by the spot proprietor successful September 2024. A 4th bid was issued successful February requesting an updating connected a structural engineer's study that was mandated.

Property radical insolvent

The Caryi Group, which owns the gathering on with a fig of different commercialized and residential properties successful Atlantic Canada, has fallen into fiscal trouble. The group's principal, Steven Caryi, died successful 2023.

His household is present trying to merchantability the gathering and others helium near with owe debts estimated at astir $47 cardinal arsenic of January, according to tribunal documents.

His sister, Joanne Caryi, previously declined to remark connected the insolvency proceedings present earlier the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. She is identified arsenic the executor of her brother's Canadian property successful tribunal documents. She could not beryllium reached for an interrogation this week.

Obladee volition stay unfastened this play and Rankin said they volition beryllium pursuing up to marque definite the inspection is followed by existent repairs.

"It's a measurement successful the close direction, but there's inactive a batch of enactment to beryllium done and it needs to hap quickly," she said.

Rankin and her member are hoping the facade tin beryllium fixed truthful that the scaffolding tin beryllium taken down earlier the summertime to let for the patio to instrumentality to the Sackville Street broadside of the building.

The Halifax Regional Municipality has made it wide the scaffolding has to stay successful spot until repairs are done.