Video – After Multiple Fires, Cavan Street Property in Port Hope Faces Final Cleanup

Pete Fisher
2 hours ago
• Categories: News

Cleanup and excavation work has officially begun at the fire-damaged property at 121 Cavan Street.

Cliffshore Excavating & Paving has been contracted by the Municipality of Port Hope to remove the remaining building remnants and fire-related debris from the site.

Residents and motorists can expect temporary lane disruptions, increased truck traffic and construction activity in the area. The work is taking place alongside ongoing PHAI activities, and drivers and pedestrians are being asked to use caution when traveling nearby.

Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jason Williams said the excavation and cleanup began Monday.

“Cliff Shore Excavating has been contracted by the municipality of Port Hope to undertake the cleanup of the site after the fire which occurred several months ago,” Williams said.

The property has been the site of repeated fires. A fire occurred there in July 2024, with cleanup work completed in August 2025. A second fire in June 2026 caused extensive damage to the property.

Williams said the repeated incidents created significant safety concerns for both the public and emergency responders.

“It is very unfortunate that such a historic building has come to this,” he said. “But unfortunately, as we’ve had several fires here that have put not only members of the public but members of Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services at risk every time we enter that building or enter that property.”

“Whether it be civilians, whether it be emergency responders, people’s lives are at risk.”

Following the June fire, Municipal Enforcement staff issued orders requiring the property owner to have the site remediated.

When the required work was not completed within the prescribed timeframe, Port Hope Council approved the Municipality undertaking the cleanup at its July 2026 meeting.

“Orders were issued by our municipal law enforcement division to the property owner. They failed to comply with those orders,” Williams said. “So the municipality has undertaken the cleanup proactively to ensure the safety of our residents.”

Williams said the cleanup will remove the safety risk associated with the damaged structure.

“The risk has been eliminated,” he said. “Not the circumstances that we wanted, but to ensure now that the site is actually safe for residents in and around this neighbourhood.”

“The bill associated with the cleanup will be put on the municipal tax levy for the property owner at this location,” Williams said.

The Municipality is asking residents for patience and understanding while the work proceeds.

The cleanup is expected to take about two weeks, weather permitting, as crews remove the remnants of the historic structure and debris left behind following the latest fire.