Port Hope council advances with $96K cleanup at former file factory

Remediation work is getting underway at the former file factory property. /Municipality of Port Hope photo

By editor/reporter Sarah Hyatt

Cleanup will be getting underway at 121 Cavan St. – the property more commonly known as the former file factory.

The vacant property has been the site of two fires since 2024 – the latest was about two months ago.

“Going back to the fire that happened at 121 Cavan St. – known as the file factory – in mid-June, an order was issued pursuant to the Building Code Act to have the file factory remediated,” said David Chatwell, manager of municipal law enforcement, during a verbal update at Port Hope council’s Tuesday meeting.

“The order was not complied with so staff went through the procurement process to obtain a contractor, which is (Cliffshore Excavating and Paving.) The bid was $96,400 plus HST (and) that will be placed onto the owner’s tax (bill).”

As previously reported, this verbal update follows direction from council after an in-camera session and rise and report by Mayor Olena Hankivsky at council’s July meeting.

In short, council directed staff earlier to proceed with remediation work after the expiration of an order to remedy, in accordance with Port Hope’s procurement policy and property standards bylaw and then communicate publicly on future finalized remediation details and upon completion of the procurement process.

In more plain language, according to the municipality, enforcement staff had issued an order to have the property remediated and this work wasn’t completed within the prescribed timeframe, resulting in council’s July direction.

The July council resolution passed also states any costs associated with remediation be added to the property owner’s tax bill.

This does mean clean-up costs are initially being paid for by the municipality, then placed on the owner’s tax account, a municipal spokesperson told the Independent, in response to inquiries.

In a release about debris removal at the site, officials stated work at the former file factory was starting Monday, Aug. 17. Chatwell expressed hopes in response to council inquiries that work would wrap before school started again.

Crews will be working at the site to remove building remnants and fire-related debris over the next two weeks, and as a result, there may be temporary lane disruptions and increased truck traffic in the area, staff noted.

As previously reported, the two fires at the property were in June 2026 and July 2024. The latest fire resulted in “extensive damage.”

In both, the cause of the fires have gone down as “undetermined” at this time, Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services Director and Chief Jason Williams previously told the Independent.

A Port Hope Police Service probe continues, and a spokesperson said as of Wednesday, Aug. 12 there were no new updates.

Cleanup was also undertaken in July 2025 after the fire in July 2024, and in a public notice, the municipality also spoke to non-compliance issues with a property-related order, saying cleanup then was being completed in accordance with municipal and provincial regulations.

“As the order pertaining to the remediation of the property has not been complied with, the municipality has secured a contractor to bring the property into compliance at the owner’s expense,” reads the July 7, 2025 notice.

However, at press deadline, inquiries seeking clarification around whether the municipality initially paid for cleanup costs in this instance – and if so, how much – and whether costs were recouped, were not answered.

A municipal spokesperson did respond about recouped costs after the July 2024 fire saying that staff cannot provide information about specific property tax accounts unless that information becomes public as part of the tax sale process.

“As a standard practice, any property clean-up costs incurred by the municipality are added to the property’s tax account,” the spokesperson continued. “If those costs remain unpaid, the municipality may begin the tax sale process when permitted by the Municipal Act.”