Prince Albert councillors will get two different looks at the city’s derelict property problem when Executive Committee meets on Monday.
One item involves a River Street property owner asking the City for help demolishing a fire-damaged house. Another examines whether owners of boarded-up and derelict properties should eventually pay higher property taxes.
Both come after months of discussion at City Hall about vacant buildings, neighbourhood conditions and the risks associated with abandoned properties.
Brian and Louella Martin, owners of 1025 River Street West, are asking council for a one-time extension of the City’s former Derelict Property Demolition Incentive program.
In a letter to council, the Martins said the rental property was damaged by fire and later experienced break-ins and two subsequent fires. They eventually decided demolition was the best option.
The couple said they obtained an application for the demolition incentive at City Hall in May, only to learn in June that the program had expired Dec. 31, 2025. They also said the application remained available on the City’s website until June.
They are asking the City to make a one-time exception to help with demolition and disposal costs. The request is recommended to be referred to Community Development for review and a report.
The incentive itself has previously been the subject of council discussion.
Last November, Coun. Darren Solomon questioned the timing of an outstanding review involving the demolition incentive and the City’s $1 lot program, saying a March 2026 deadline could leave little time before construction season. City Manager Craig Guidinger said administration hoped to bring the information forward early in the first quarter.
Monday’s agenda also includes an administration report examining a separate tax subclass that could charge higher taxes on derelict properties.
The report follows a May motion from Coun. Blake Edwards, who argued that properties remaining boarded up for years were holding back neighbourhoods.
Edwards pointed to garbage, discarded appliances, broken-down vehicles and deteriorating buildings. He also raised concerns about absentee property owners and fire hazards.
“We need to take some action against these derelict properties,” Edwards said during the May 11 council meeting.
When Coun. Daniel Brown asked whether the proposal should include commercial properties, Edwards said he intended it to apply to both residential and commercial properties.
Fire officials have also recently linked abandoned buildings with an increase in structure fires.
During a July Executive Committee meeting, Deputy Fire Chief Alex Paul said a large part of the increase in structure fires was likely connected to vacant and abandoned properties. He said boarded buildings that are no longer considered in use do not undergo the same inspections.
Prince Albert has already seen an example of that risk at the Carlton Park apartment complex. B-Block was emptied after an electrical fire in its laundry room in 2025, with residents relocated while repairs were planned. While vacant, the building caught fire again on Aug. 1, causing significant damage to a top-floor portion of the building. Security was placed around the property following the second fire, and B-Block remains vacant more than a year after the original evacuation
The City’s new report looks at approaches being taken elsewhere. Edmonton applies a derelict residential property tax rate slightly more than three times its normal residential rate. Regina is developing a similar program that is expected to take effect in 2028, with a proposed rate five times the residential mill rate.
Administration cautions that a Prince Albert program could also create additional staffing, assessment and legal costs. Higher taxes could push some properties further into arrears and potentially leave the City acquiring more derelict properties through tax enforcement. The recommendation Monday is simply to receive and file the report.
Other items on Monday’s agenda include requests for new traffic control measures in Nordale following the resurfacing of 5th Avenue NW, an update on City capital projects and a request from the Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District concerning access to a City credit card.
The Executive Committee meeting begins at 2 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
