The heat first went out at the single resident occupancy (SRO) hotel on Christmas Day, according to multiple sources, leaving many vulnerable tenants suffering in the bitter cold. Victoria Desroches has a friend who lives at the Regal Hotel and is recovering from major surgery. The Regal Hotel is owned by the Sahota family, notorious for operating decrepit SROs in Vancouver. Desrochers said a City of Vancouver staffer confirmed that city officials knew about the Regal Hotel heat problem on Christmas Day, but that no action was taken until Dec. 27, after she began contacting media outlets with the story. The Regal Hotel has 23 outstanding safety, maintenance and fire bylaw violations, according to a City of Vancouver database.

Source: CBC News December 29, 2021 10:01 UTC