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Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Police to step up Scrap Metal Act enforcement
Winnipeg police say they are cracking down on thefts of copper and alleged violations of a provincial law that punishes scrap metal dealers who buy stolen goods. The unions for Winnipeg firefighters and Manitoba Hydro workers, as well as people who live near homeless encampments, and the opposition Tories had demanded the law be better enforced. They've said the copper wire fires and cable theft that put them and the public at risk will stop once the purchasers are charged under the Scrap Metal Act and stop buying stolen copper. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The Scrap Metal Act prohibits a person from selling such things as metallic wire that has had insulation or casing removed from it, unless they can provide proof of ownership to the dealer at the time of the transaction. The purpose of the law, which took effect in 2022, is to deter thieves from stealing public and private property, then selling it as scrap metal, a Winnipeg Police Service spokesman said Thursday, adding officers are currently probing alleged violations of the law. He confirmed there have not been any charges laid under the law since 2023, when police swooped down on a scrapyard in Springfield in relation to catalytic converter thefts. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said this week the industry 'in general, has been good to work with' but police are pursuing 'the bad actors.' 'We want to be able to support them in cracking down on it,' he said. The law prohibits a person from selling a catalytic converter or such things as metallic wire that has had insulation or casing removed from it, unless they can provide proof of ownership to the dealer at the time of the transaction. It requires a scrap metal dealer to obtain proof of identification from the seller and retain records about the transaction, limit cash purchases of scrap metal and provide regular reports to law enforcement agencies. 'They have a clear picture of how these thefts are impacting communities and they have a clear sense of which businesses or who's supporting this kind of illegal activity,' Wiebe said. 'When it comes to theft, when it comes to any kind of organized crime — and certainly that could be the case when it comes to this kind of scrap metal or copper thefts — they've got the support of the provincial government and they know that we're going to continue to support their efforts to crack down on this.' The toxic smoke from wire fires at a nearby urban encampment prompted neighbour Howard Warren to publicly call for enforcement of the Scrap Metal Act. He said the illegal burns would stop if there were no longer a market for the ill-gotten copper wire. The United Firefighters of Winnipeg expressed concern about the health hazards of toxic smoke from people burning wires and cables to get at valuable copper. Troy Craig, the business representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034, said people who try to steal copper wire from Manitoba Hydro sites have been electrocuted. 'If they don't have a market to sell it into, then it goes away,' Craig said about the potentially deadly problem. Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen, a former police chief, said last week that scrap metal dealers needed to be checked to ensure they're obeying the law. Activist Sel Burrows said a crackdown should result in a reduction in the number of fires in vacant houses. The former North Point Douglas resident said he's had two landlords tell him that their properties have been torched just for the copper wires inside. 'Homeless people will be encouraged to break in and light a fire or have a fire happen. Then, in the week or so after, people will go in and strip all the copper out of the house,' Burrows said Thursday. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. 'We have laws that are really good laws, but they have to be enforced —and it's not just the police, it's bylaw enforcement and various inspection systems,' said Burrows, who founded the Powerline to encourage North Point Douglas residents to anonymously report criminal activity. 'This is a principle of crime prevention: the bad guys, the people who commit crime, stop doing it as soon as they get caught doing it,' he said. Meanwhile, the neighbour who raised the alarm about hazardous smoke from encampment wire fires said this week that there have been no recent toxic blazes. However, Warren said, the 'chaos' continues nearby. 'What has been going on is random 24-hours-a-day hammering, sawing, chopping in the forest directly in front of our house as the encampment here continues to grow in size and chaos,' he said. Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Persistent theft of copper wire demands crackdown on scrap metal dealers: Tory
There are calls for a clampdown on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen copper wire, which puts thieves at risk of being electrocuted at Manitoba Hydro facilities and results in 'wire fires' that release toxic material. Recent reports of copper wire fires and theft indicate someone is still buying the ill-gotten metal, said former Brandon police chief Wayne Balcaen, who is the MLA for Brandon West and the Tory justice critic. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Brandon West MLA and the Tory justice critic, Wayne Balcaen: 'Somebody's trying to use it as a source of income.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Brandon West MLA and the Tory justice critic, Wayne Balcaen: 'Somebody's trying to use it as a source of income.' 'Somebody's trying to use it as a source of income,' he said Thursday. 'What needs to happen is checking on the scrap metal dealers and determining if, in fact, they are following the act,' he said. The Scrap Metal Act, enacted in 2022, successfully stopped runaway thefts of automobile catalytic converters. The number of thefts dropped to just a dozen in 2024, from 1,801 in 2022. The law prohibits a person from selling a catalytic converter or such things as metallic wire that has had insulation or casing removed from it, unless they can provide proof of ownership to the dealer at the time of the transaction. It requires a scrap metal dealer to obtain proof of identification from the seller and retain records about the transaction, limit cash purchases of scrap metal and provide regular reports to law enforcement agencies. The Winnipeg Police Service said Thursday it is 'aware of various reports of copper wire theft and they are being investigated.' 'What needs to happen is checking on the scrap metal dealers and determining if, in fact, they are following the act.'–Wayne Balcaen It did not make anyone available for an interview, or respond to questions about whether or not the police service has sufficient resources to enforce the Scrap Metal Act. Manitoba Justice did not immediately respond Thursday when asked whether the issue is on its radar. Manitoba Hydro said the theft of copper equipment from its facilities is a 'serious and ongoing problem' and 'very dangerous.' 'In most cases, thieves attempt to remove copper wire that's connected to equipment or stations,' Hydro spokesman Peter Chura said. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS There are calls for a clampdown on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen copper wire, which puts thieves at risk of being electrocuted and results in 'wire fires' that release toxic material. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS There are calls for a clampdown on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen copper wire, which puts thieves at risk of being electrocuted and results in 'wire fires' that release toxic material. 'This is very dangerous, as thieves could be exposed to high-voltage electricity and seriously injured or killed.' Innocent bystanders and hydro workers are also put at risk, Chura said. 'Removing copper grounding wires can create hazards for our employees and the public around the damaged equipment.' The business representative for the hydro electrical workers' union said their members wear protective equipment and know how to handle live wires, but people who break into hydro facilities often don't. 'In the past, they've found people in our stations that are dead because they climbed on top of a transformer and tried to steal the copper while it's energized,' said Troy Craig with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034. 'That's a high voltage, and of course they get killed,' he said. 'It does happen quite frequently,' said Craig, who couldn't provide the number of fatalities. Hydro was not able to provide such numbers Thursday. The public utility has taken steps to make it tougher for thieves to get at the copper, said Craig but, as long as they can make money selling it, the problem will persist. 'They've found people in our stations that are dead because they climbed on top of a transformer and tried to steal the copper while it's energized.'–Troy Craig 'If they don't have a market to sell it into, then it goes away,' the union rep said. 'The question is, where are they selling it? That's where I would focus my efforts,' Craig said. On Monday, the Free Press reported on the scourge of 'wire fires' after the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg expressed concern about the hazards of toxic smoke from thieves burning wires and cables to get at valuable copper. A man who lives near an urban encampment said he's complained to the city about the illegal burns but hadn't seen any enforcement of the city bylaw that prohibits burning such material. Howard Warren also questioned who is buying the copper from the wire fires when the Scrap Metal Act prohibits it. It's not just copper from melted wires and Manitoba Hydro grounding cables that are targets for thieves. Spooled copper is also sought after. Early Monday, Winnipeg police responded to a burglar alarm at a Manitoba Hydro facility on Henlow Bay and arrested a man who was in the process of collecting spooled copper wire. In a recent, similar incident in Lac du Bonnet, the target was also a spool of copper wire, said Chura. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. In the attempted theft in south Winnipeg Monday, the 42-year-old suspect was found hiding between a fenced compound and an adjacent building, a police news release said. Chura said hydro security staff monitoring surveillance video provided real-time updates to help police locate the suspect, who police said had a knife and identification belonging to another person. He was wanted on outstanding warrants for failing to attend court and breaching release conditions. He was remanded in custody. Chura said there has been a reduction in the number of copper wire thefts: from 117 in 2018, to 44 in 2024 and 26 so far in 2025. He credited the Crown corporation's increased video surveillance and security patrols. Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Toxic wire fires another byproduct of encampments: firefighters union
The firefighters union says crews and the public are put in danger by toxic smoke that's created when cables and wiring are set ablaze by people at encampments who want to expose the valuable copper beneath. While it's against the law to burn the material that sparks carcinogenic smoke, it's a common occurrence at encampments where it's seen as a 'survival crime' that authorities don't appear prepared to address. 'Firefighters are encountering more incidents where stolen copper wire or other copper material is being burned to strip away insulation, often in backyards, burn barrels, fire pits, and encampments,' said Nick Kasper, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg. 'I'd go down and ask them, 'What are you doing? Would you consider not doing it?' Typically the responses I get are, 'Well, at least I'm not breaking into your house; at least I'm not breaking into your car.''–Howard Warren Kasper said burning insulated cable releases carcinogens that pose serious short- and long-term health risks to the public and firefighters, who already face a disproportionate risk of developing cancer due to occupational exposure. He said they are frustrated they're dealing with more wire fires, but all they can do is put them out and urge the public to report them. Howard Warren, who lives near an encampment but doesn't want his neighbourhood named, said he's asked the fire-starters to stop doing it. 'I used to go down when I detected somebody conducting a wire fire — there's no mistaking it, the acrid smell in the air,' he said Monday. 'I'd go down and ask them, 'What are you doing? Would you consider not doing it?' Typically the responses I get are, 'Well, at least I'm not breaking into your house; at least I'm not breaking into your car,'' Warren said. 'I don't know how you come up with a response in reply to that.' Warren pointed out that if he burned the material in his backyard, his neighbours would complain, and he'd be penalized. At encampments, such fires are set with impunity — and someone must be illegally purchasing the ill-gotten scrap metal, he said, adding he's talked to city officials and the firefighters who have put out the wire fires. The longtime area resident said it seems as though city officials have given up enforcing bylaws that prohibit such fires that he's heard social agencies refer to as a 'survival crime.' Warren said he's seen encampments explode in size in the last 15 years and is concerned about crime flourishing. 'It's a huge part of the homeless economy… Some of it's bicycle chop shops, some of it's wire burning. Where they get the wire from is questionable — as well the scrap metal dealers buying that kind of thing.' The Scrap Metal Act, which became law in 2022, requires a scrap metal dealer obtain proof of identification from the seller and retain records about the transaction, limit cash purchases of scrap metal and provide regular reports to law enforcement agencies. A person must not sell metallic wire that has had insulation or casing removed from it, a catalytic converter, or items such as a sewer access cover or grate or a metal grave marker, unless they can provide proof of ownership to the dealer at the time of the transaction. 'It's a huge part of the homeless economy… Some of it's bicycle chop shops, some of it's wire burning. Where they get the wire from is questionable — as well the scrap metal dealers buying that kind of thing.'–Howard Warren Violating the law can result in a fine of up to $5,000 for a first offence and $15,000 for a subsequent offence. Corporations are penalized $15,000 for a first offence and $50,000 for subsequent offences. The Winnipeg Police Service said Monday the investigator who would be able to comment on wire fires and enforcement of the law is away until later this week. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said wire fires violate the Neighbourhood Livability Bylaw. 'Despite this, WFPS responds to many reports of fires, which turn out to be wire fires,' WFPS spokesperson Erin Madden said. 'Often we arrive once the fire is already out. On occasion, we are required to extinguish these fires, which are usually small/minor.' She said the city doesn't keep track of the number of such fires. The frequency and proximity of such toxic burns have increased the risk to the public and first responders, said Kasper. 'These fires are now happening more often in densely populated areas, including residential neighbourhoods and urban encampments,' he said. 'Not only is it likely that these materials were obtained illegally, but burning them is a violation of City of Winnipeg bylaws, which allow only clean, dry wood to be burned in approved outdoor fire pits,' Kasper said. People should avoid an area where hazardous material is on fire, as well as call the police non-emergency line, the union leader said. 'These fires are now happening more often in densely populated areas, including residential neighbourhoods and urban encampments.'–Nick Kasper Warren said laws are being broken that authorities don't seem prepared to address. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. 'There's so many problems, people have almost given up,' he said. 'I think the easiest solution to this is that, when there is a wire fire, that they confiscate the wire, take it away from them,' said Warren. Firefighters don't have the authority to confiscate the wiring, said Kasper. 'Once the fire is extinguished and the immediate risk has been managed, any further action — such as investigation or enforcement — must be handled by bylaw officers or police,' he said. Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
