Regional public transportation provider TransLink, officially known as the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, has taken legal action as a result of the high-profile construction fire that occurred in the Dunbar neighbourhood of Vancouver last summer, according to filings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia obtained by STOREYS.
The civil claim was filed on May 5 by TransLink and the Coast Mountain Bus Company – a wholly owned subsidiary of TransLink – against Sightline Properties (Collingwood St) Ltd. – the registered owner of the property where the fire occurred – and the beneficial owners.
In September 2021, Sightline Properties received rezoning approval from the City for a six-storey building with 114 market rental units at a land assembly comprised of 3449, 3469, and 3479 W 41st Avenue plus 5664 Collingwood Street, located about half a block east of the Save On Foods near Dunbar Street. The site has since been consolidated into a single legal parcel with an address of 3449 W 41st Avenue and construction on the wood-frame building was well underway.
In the early evening on August 6, a fire broke out at the construction site and eventually engulfed the building, resulting in the construction crane toppling across W 41st Avenue. Arson has been ruled out by the Vancouver Police Department, but the incident is being investigated by WorkSafeBC, according to a March 2025 report by The Tyee.
My kid witnessed this massive fire outside his work, just this evening at dinnertime
I hope and pray no one was hurt when the crane fell
How heartbreaking#vancouverfire pic.twitter.com/kET2x96oIn
— Wendyka🎗️ (@wendyevaK) August 7, 2024
According to TransLink, they entered into an agreement with Sightline Properties in August 2023 pertaining to the overhead powerlines for the electric trolley buses that run through the area. The contract mandates that the infrastructure cannot be damaged, impeded, or otherwise adversely affected and that the owner of the property is responsible for the costs if anything of that nature happens to the infrastructure.
When the crane collapsed and toppled over, it damaged the infrastructure, TransLink says, and resulted in TransLink incurring additional costs stemming from having to reroute transit services, inspecting and repairing the damage, and staffing costs associated with the above. In its civil claim, TransLink says it invoiced the owners for the incurred costs on October 28, but that the owners have yet to pay and are thus in breach of the aforementioned contract.
TransLink did not disclose how much in additional costs it incurred, but is seeking damages for breach of contract, or damages in strict liability for nuisance, or damages in negligence, in addition to interest and legal costs.
Reached for comment by STOREYS on May 8, TransLink declined to comment as the case remains before the courts.
STOREYS also reached out to Sightline Properties, who referred us to their legal representative in the matter, Jonathan Weisman of Dolden Wallace Folick LLP. In a brief interview this week, Weisman said such legal action is not uncommon when there are construction incidents of this nature. The "invoice" TransLink provided is an estimate and Sightline Properties is currently in the process of analyzing TransLink's numbers, he said, adding that Sightline has yet to file a formal response in court, but is expected to do so in June. Weisman added that disputes like this are usually resolved with some kind of settlement.
Following the fire, Sightline Properties stated its intentions to rebuild the development.
