B.C. court certifies class-action lawsuit in deadly Winters Hotel fire [Video]

The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class-action lawsuit over the fire that killed two people at the Winters Hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside more than two years ago.

A certification ruling by the court says lead plaintiff Jennifer Hansma lived on the top floor of the hotel when it caught fire on April 11, 2022, while the defendants include hotel operator Atira Women’s Resource Society, the City of Vancouver and others.

The court ruled Thursday that the case meets the test for certification, which doesn’t involve assessing its merits, but whether the case can go ahead as a class proceeding.

The ruling says the case deals with a number of issues including claims of property damage, personal injuries, negligence and wrongful death.

Justice Francesca Marzari’s ruling says the case can go ahead as a class action rather than individual cases by the hotel’s residents and visitors because “proposed class …