Residents of St. James Town high-rise to be allowed supervised access starting Monday

Smoke billows from the balcony of a highrise apartment unit in St. James Town on August 21, 2018.

Some 1,500 residents who were displaced by a six-alarm fire at a high-rise in St. James Town will be allowed to have supervised access to their units as of Monday but they are being warned to only take what is “urgent.”

The residents of 650 Parliament Street were forced from their homes on Tuesday following a massive electrical fire that sent thick black smoke billowing through multiple floors.

Though most of the building’s units escaped significant damage in the fire, the main electrical distribution system was significantly compromised.

As a result the entire building is currently without power and officials have said that the necessary repairs to the system could take months, preventing any residents from being able to return home for the time being.

In a message distributed to residents on Sunday, the management of the building said that residents who need to retrieve items from their units will be able to do so beginning on Monday.

The message said that residents will be able to access their units from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week but must be accompanied by a security guard at all times.

“Please take only what us urgent and spend as little time there as possible,” the message said.

Any resident wishing to access their unit must also pre-register at an office that has been set up at the rear of 260 Wellesley Street.