A group of companies closely linked to the old hospital site downtown are being sued by a local contractor for allegedly failing to pay the balance owing for the demolition of the former St. Veronica school in the city’s west end.
The companies named in the lawsuit are Wilsondale Assets Management Inc., Wilsondale Assets Management Group Inc., Westroy Assets Management Inc., 2749978 Ontario Ltd., Berkshire Enterprises Inc. and M Plus M McKerlie Holdings Inc. During a 2022 city council meeting, Ferrari used the phrase "concentration camp" to describe what the decrepit hospital site would look like if securely fenced, prompting two members of council to leave the meeting over the remark. He would later issue an apology to the municipality, hours after being rebuked publicly by Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.
The East Balfour Street building sustained extensive damage in a September 2022 fire that took firefighters more than five hours to control. It wasn’t the first time the derelict building had been investigated for fire-related incidents, which left city officials and residents frustrated over the lack of action from the building’s owners in the past.