Former Nygard property burns on Notre Dame Avenue

Firefighters and pumper trucks were called inTuesday morning to battle a fire at aproperty that once belonged to former fashion mogul PeterNygard.

Crews were met by heavysmoke and flames when they arrived at the building atNotre Dame Avenue and Clifton Street around 6a.m.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service platoon chief Don Ennssaid flames were shooting five to six metres into the air at one point.

Notre Dame, between Weston and Flint streets, was blocked to traffic, causing headaches during the morning rush hour.

"This is expected to be a prolonged event," a WFPSspokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

Theone storey-building was attached to the back of a former storefront for the Nygard clothing company.

At least six fire trucks were at the scene, including ladder trucks with firefighters pouring water onto the blaze from above.

Crews werein a defensive modebecause conditionsmade it unsafeto enter the building, Enns said.

The roof has collapsed.

There was a lot of weight on the roof from air conditioning units along with a number of propane tanks that belonged to a roofing company that had been doing some repairs recently, Enns said.

"We declared a collapsed zone and pulled all the crews away," he said.

Crews have been soaking the propane tanks to keep them cool and prevent them from exploding, he said.

There is no reason to believe the work on the roof is connected to the fire, but an investigation will occur to determine the exact cause, Enns said.

"The damage will be substantial," he said, but he couldn't say yet if the building will need to be razed.

The property was put up for sale in 2020 after Nygard's companies went into receivership.

At the time, Nygardsaid helived in anapartment in the adjacent warehouse for 40 years when he wasn't at hishome in the Bahamas.

He said a bankruptcy receiver changed the locks on his suite while he was away andrefused him entry.

Nygardmade a bid to keep the property and hislawyer arguedhis client's tenancy rights should be considered if the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench plannedto approvean offer to purchase the property.

"It was always my intention to continue my residency at 1340 Notre Dame during the summer, even though I spent most of my time at my summer lake residence,"Nygardsaid in an affidavit in June 2020.

Earlier this month, Nygard, 80,consentedto move forward with theprocess for extradition to the United States, where he is charged withsex trafficking and racketeering. He has also been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and forcible confinement in Toronto.