City razes infamous West End drug den

A notorious drug house that has plagued residents of Winnipeg’s West End for years was reduced to rubble this week, bringing some relief to neighbours who had long pushed for action.

The three-storey home at 575 Furby Street, a hub for criminal activity in recent years, was demolished over the past two days. It had been boarded up for about six weeks following repeated complaints from area residents.

“It’s a good day,” said Cheryl Martens, a member of neighborhood advocacy group Furby United Residents who lives near the property between Ellice and Sargent avenues. “It is very good to see.”

Martens said residents had repeatedly contacted 311 and the province in an effort to have the property dealt with, making it a priority over the past year.

The home had been the scene of fires and police raids in recent years, including two raids within two months in late 2023 and early 2024.

“In September 2025, we issued a compliance order to the owner of 575 Furby St. to repair/demolish the structure after it had been damaged by fire,” a city spokesperson said Friday in an email.

“When a property owner continuously fails to meet deadlines in compliance orders the City may undertake demolition and remediation as a final resort.”

The spokesperson said a demolition permit was ordered and the city hired a contractor to carry out the work, which began earlier this week.

“All costs associated with the demolition will be added to the owner’s property tax bill,” they said.

Martens said the property owner had continued to rent out the home until it was boarded up about six weeks ago.

One neighbour had installed security cameras to monitor activity at the property, while another, who had built a new home on the street, was relieved to see the house demolished after repeatedly having items stolen from her yard, Martens said.

“We’re hoping they’d come and fence off the property now,” Martens said, adding she hopes the vacant lot doesn’t become a gathering place for drug activity.

While the demolition marks a victory for residents, Martens said other problems along the street persist.

Last month, she raised concerns about a nearby community garden that had become overrun with garbage, including needles and other drug paraphernalia.

A fence has since been erected around the garden, but Martens said people have already breached it and continue to use the space, which sits next to what she described as another known drug house.

“One down, more to go,” Martens said.

She credited recent media coverage with drawing attention to the neighbourhood’s struggles and pressuring city officials to take action.

scott.billeck@winnipegfreepress.com