Whitehorse Days Inn fined as a result of fire code violations

Whitehorse's Days Inn will have to pay a $1,500fine for fire code violations, a judge determined in Yukon Territorial court Tuesday.

The hotel pleaded guilty to an order to comply with the Whitehorse emergency services bylaw this summer.

The Days Inn will need to pay the fine within 21 days.

A hotel guest noticed that emergency lighting was not working in the hotel during a power outage on July 24,according to Wayne Smyth, a fire prevention officer for the city.

The complaint was made on July 25, and the Whitehorse fire department inspected the hotel on July 31.

The Whitehorse fire department noticed that three emergency lighting banks did not work and ordered the hotel to repair the lighting fixtures within seven days.

The Hotel did not repair the emergency lighting banks by the ordered date.

"There is an expectation that if you're in a public place ... if the power goes off or there is a problem with the system that emergency lighting will kick in," said Smyth.

The maximum penalty for violating the emergency services bylaw in Whitehorse is a $10,000 fine, six months imprisonment, or both.

The hotel's lawyer told the court the emergency lighting banks have now been repaired.

"We have visitors coming to the city and their expectation is that they are going to be able to stay in a place that they are protected and they can get out of safely if there is an emergency," said Michael Dine, the city's fire chief.