Keefer Road Fire

The side of a St. Catharines Fire Services truck, displaying the fire service logo

The City of St. Catharines continues to work with provincial and regional agencies on the ongoing investigation and remediation following the Jan. 12 fire at 20 Keefer Rd. in Port Weller. Neighbourhood safety and environmental protection remain a top priority as the complex investigation, led by the Ontario Fire Marshal.

Fire Investigation

St. Catharines Fire Service charges are currently before the courts. The Ontario Fire Marshal has concluded the on-site phase of the investigation, and the property was turned back over to its owners. The City continues to support the Ontario Fire Marshal’s efforts, and remains committed to providing information, as appropriate, on the investigation status and court proceedings.

Environmental Issues

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has supported the investigation since the fire on Jan. 12 and is taking a lead role in addressing any concerns relating to the environment as a result of the event. Since the transfer of the property back to the owner, the ministry has continued to work with the company to develop a plan that will address any potential hazards on site, and protect the surrounding environment. The ministry has issued orders at the site, and containment and remediation work at the property is required by the owner.

Concerns about soil, water, air, other environmental issues, or any other property-related concerns relating to the incident, should be forwarded to the Ministry of the Environment’s Niagara District Office. They can be reached at 905.704.3900 during regular business hours, or the Spills Action Centre after hours at 1.800.260.6868. You can also email environment.niagara@ontario.ca, and copy the City of St. Catharines at emergencymanagement@stcatharines.ca.

To ensure no sensitive water courses or City-owned properties are impacted, the City has retained an independent environmental consulting firm to support efforts, provide a presence to assess environmental impacts to public property, provide technical advice on potential remediation actions, and work closely with stakeholders.

Community Safety

Since the onset of the incident, the City and our partners have taken action to prioritize health and safety for our residents and local businesses. Ongoing efforts have been focused on mitigating any environmental risks (both air and water quality), including monitoring and proactive water / stormwater containment measures. The City has contracted a professional firm to monitor containment, and to support any remedial work that may be required.

The property continues to be fenced off for security purposes to ensure the site remains secure and to prevent access to any hazardous materials that remain on the site and unsafe building conditions. The owner has been issued a variety of orders from the City, the Ontario Fire Marshal and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to address cleanup of the site, preventing any discharge from the property, and safety and security of the property and amenities.

City officials continue to follow up on concerns regarding emergency access in the Port Weller area and an emergency plan for the neighbourhood.

Any residents with questions are welcome to submit them to emergencymanagement@stcatharines.ca. The City will be updating the page as new information is available. If you want to receive updates to the page direct to your inbox you can sign up using the "Subscribe To Page Updates" function. Your information, including email address, will not be used for any other purpose.

Community Updates

Sept. 28, 2023

Ssonnix had its first appearance in court on Sept. 28, 2023 and proceedings are ongoing.

The matter is still in the preliminary stages of the court proceedings and as such, information that can be shared is limited at this time.

The charges laid against Sonnix Products Inc. and its directors are as follows:

On or about the Jan. 6 to the Jan. 12, 2023, at, and while being the owner of 20 Keefer Road in the City of St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara, [being of property identifier number (PIN) 46301-0138(LT)] did commit the offence of:

Fail to prepare, have approved, and implement a fire safety plan approved by the Chief Fire Official as per Div. B. s. 2.8.2.1. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit The City of St. Catharines Fire Services has not approved a fire safety plan for this building and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to establish, maintenance and operating procedures to prevent the escape of flammable liquids or combustible liquids to areas where they could create a fire or explosion hazard as per Div. B. s. 4.1.6.3. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit The Ssonix Products 2010 inc. standard operating guidelines did not include the maintenance and operating procedures to prevent the escape of flammable liquids or combustible liquids to areas where they could create a fire or explosion hazard and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to have a spill control procedure approved and implemented where flammable liquids or combustible liquids are stored, handled, processed or used as per Div. B. s. 4.1.6.4. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit a spill control procedure has not been approved and implemented for this building and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to prevent a spill of flammable liquids or combustible liquids from flowing outside of the spill area and from reaching waterways, sewer systems and potable water sources by constructing a non-combustible barrier capable of containing the spill, and grading the site or sloping the floor to divert the spill to a drainage system conforming to clauses 4.1.6.1.(1) (a) (b) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit The flammable storage bay at this building was not constructed with a non-combustible barrier capable of containing the spill, or grading the site or sloping the floor to divert the spill to a drainage system and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to provide a continuous mechanical ventilation system in the flammable storage bay as required by Clause 4.1.7.2.(1) (a) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the flammable storage bay did not have a continuous mechanical ventilation system and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to keep closed containers for flammable and combustible liquids when not in use as required by s. 4.1.8.1.(1) and (2) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit containers for flammable liquids or combustible liquids which were in the flammable storage bay were kept open when not in use and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Store flammable or combustible liquids in or adjacent to exits, including outdoors or principal routes that provide access to exits as prohibited by Clauses 4.2.2.2.(1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit 1000 Liter totes and 45 gallon drums that contained flammable liquid were stored adjacent to the exit in the flammable storage bay within the access to the exit of the man door and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to properly mark containers containing flammable and combustible material as required by Clauses 4.2.3.2.(1) (a) (b) (c ) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit containers for flammable liquids or combustible liquids which were located in the flammable storage bay were not labelled or distinctly marked as required and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to store and dispense flammable liquids and combustible liquids in rooms that comply with Subsection 4.2.9 of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the flammable storage bay lacked required ventilation, explosion venting, and portable fire extinguishers and did thereby commit an offence contrary to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4 as amended, s. 28(1)(c).
Fail to dispense or transfer Class I or II liquids in a storage area of the correct size outlined in s. 4.2.7.4.(1) and (2) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the flammable storage bay exceeded the maximum allowance of 100m² in size and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to store flammable and combustible liquids in storage areas conforming to the allowable height of 1.5 meters permitted in s. 4.2.7.5.(1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit flammable and combustible liquids were stored in totes exceeding 1.5 meters high, the maximum allowable height and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to store flammable and combustible liquids in a room required in Part 4 as required by Article 4.2.9.1. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit failed to dispense flammable and combustible liquids in a proper designated dispensing room and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to store flammable and combustible liquids in a storage room designed to prevent critical structure and mechanical damage from an internal explosion as required by s 4.2.9.6. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit the flammable and combustible liquids that were stored in the building were not located in a storage room that was designed to prevent critical structure and mechanical damage from an internal explosion and thereby did commit and offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Obstruct fire access routes, access panels or windows to facilitate access for firefighting operations by vehicles, gates, fences, building materials, vegetation, signs or any other form of obstruction pursuant to s. 2.5.1.2. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit fire access routes were obstructed by a locked gate, building material, storage totes, containers, and garbage containers and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to display approved signs to indicate fire access routes as required by s. 2.5.1.4. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit there were no approved fire access route signs displayed on this property and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Store fuel-fired industrial trucks in detached buildings in areas where the vehicles create a fire hazard to the storage area as prohibited by s. 3.4.2.1. (1) (a) (b) and (c ) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit fuel fired industrial truck stored in flammable storage bay and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to supervise and have personnel present during loading and unloading of a tank vehicle as required by s. 4.11.3.4. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit no personnel were present at the tank vehicle during loading and unloading to shut off the flow of liquid in an emergency and thereby did commit and offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to ensure that building and machinery surfaces shall be kept clean of accumulations of combustible dust as required by s. 5.10.1.2. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the mdf dust that was located in the solidification building was ignitable, therefore creating a fire hazard and no system that removes dust to a safe location was installed and thereby did commit and offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to provide proper machinery that produces, agitates or conveys combustible dusts as required by s. 5.10.1.3. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit machinery in the solidification bay were not provided with dust-tight casings or enclosures and were not connected to a dust-collecting system that exhausts to the outside and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to provide explosion venting to the outdoors for an activity that creates an explosive atmosphere of combustible dusts in a building as required by s. 5.10.1.7. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit there was no explosion venting on the solidification building where combustible dust was located and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
Fail to ensure open flame and spark producing equipment was not used in areas containing combustible dust producing operations as required by s. 5.10.1.14. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit an individual was observed using an open flame torch inside the solidification building where combustible dusts were located and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).

Aug. 31, 2023

St. Catharines Fire Services has laid a total of 84 charges – 21 counts each – against Ssonix Products 2010 Inc. and its three directors.

The 21 charges are all under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. This legislation falls under the umbrella of the Provincial Offences Act.

If convicted they could be subject to the penalty provisions set out in section 28(1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act; A corporation convicted of an offence is liable to a fine of not more than $500,000 for a first offence.

A Director or officer of a corporation convicted of an offence is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 for a first offence, probation, or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or to all three.

April 6, 2023

Over the coming weeks the large storage containers parked in the lot at Happy Rolph's and on Northrup Road adjacent to the park are being removed. We appreciate the patience of the neighbourhood and those using the park over the last several months.

March 8, 2023

The City hosted a community meeting, with provincial and regional partner agencies including Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks and Niagara Region Public Health. You can watch a replay of the meeting on the City's YouTube page.

Press releases and notices:

Jan. 12, 2023: Fire at Keefer Road under control, residents may return home

Jan. 20, 2023: Notice for residents in Port Weller east regarding Keefer Road fire investigation

Jan. 25, 2023: Fire investigation, remediation ongoing in Port Weller

March 3, 2023: City to host community meeting on Keefer Road fire

Aug. 31, 2023: St. Catharines Fire Services lays 84 charges in connection with Keefer Road explosion