Space heater maker being sued by Winnipeg family
Heater blamed in fire that destroyed Edward Kennedy's house in December 2011
CBC News
Posted: Nov 16, 2012 7:15 PM CST
Last Updated: Nov 16, 2012 7:13 PM CST
A Winnipeg family that lost its $1-million house to fire almost a year ago is suing the manufacturer of a space heater that is believed to have started the blaze.
The fire destroyed the house in the Linden Woods neighbourhood early in the morning of Dec. 16, 2011.
Fire investigators have said the blaze was started by a space heater in the attached garage.
The house, which was assessed by the City of Winnipeg at slightly above $1 million, belongs to Edward Kennedy and his wife, Stella.
Kennedy is the president and chief executive officer of The North West Company, which owns variety of retail stores — Giant Tiger and NorthMart among them — across northern and western Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific and the Caribbean.
Insurance company Wawanesa has now filed a lawsuit on the family's behalf against Dimplex North America Ltd., a company that manufactured the space heater in question.
In its statement of claim, Wawanesa accuses Dimplex of supplying a space heater that it knew was unfit and dangerous to use in a home.
The lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $1 million.
None of the allegations in the suit have been proven in court.
Dimplex did not return calls from CBC News for an interview, and the Kennedy family declined to speak on Friday.
But a lawyer for the family, Stuart Blake, told CBC News there are currently seven or eight cases in Manitoba of lawsuits filed against space heater manufacturers — Dimplex and Stelpro Design Inc.
Blake is representing the claimants in all the cases, which go as far back as five years.
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