Burned rubble cleaned up in time for festival

Organizers of the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival are breathing a sigh of relief after the P.E.I. government stepped in to clean up a major mess in the downtown.

The three-storey apartment building on Allen Road was mostly destroyed by fire in November. The huge pile of debris remained untouched for months, until July when the province cleaned it up.

• Province may have to clean up burned out apartment building

Thousands of people attend the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival, which is on this week, so timing was crucial for organizers.

The Department of Communities, Land and Environment had issued a cleanup order to the owner but the province said the owner failed to comply.

Officials say the cost of cleanup was $13,500. The Unsightly Property Act allows an order to be issued to recover the costs through the courts.

The Tyne Valley Oyster Festival parade, which goes by the property, is Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.

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