Calgary police search Valleyfield property as part of ongoing investigation

There's been a heavy police presence at a property in the southeast Calgary community of Valleyfield this week.

Police arrived at the lot, located in the 2500 block of 49 Avenue S.E., on Wednesday to execute a search warrant, and remained on Thursday. 

The search comes just a little over a month after fire crews responded to the lot to extinguish a large motor home fire on Aug 9.

Blaine Belanger works nearby and was witness to the fire. He alleges illegal activity has been taking place in the lot for the last few years.

"There’s been about five or six raids there, even just in the last year," he said.

Police say since 2020, they've received 78 calls about the property, including drug activity, crime and social disorder. 

Shelley Scharf says the area is relatively safe during the day, but things get a little more dangerous later in the day.

"(There's) a lot of suspicious people here, a lot of homelessness and it’s not dealt with very well," she said. "I definitely wouldn’t come here by myself at night,"

Nolan Thompson, who regularly walks past the lot, says he has seen multiple fires lit in the location, creating concern from community members.

"The main thing I’m concerned about is fires getting out of control, because there is a lot of dry grass here and it could spread, especially with lots of gas stations around too. It’s a hazard."

Last year, police were called to the same compound in early March for a carbon monoxide incident that left two people and two dogs dead.

Two adults – a man and a woman – were found unresponsive in the garage.

Officials said the source of the carbon monoxide was a vehicle that was left running inside the garage.

On Thursday, police said investigators have found "significant evidence" of drug use and some stolen property at the lot.   

"We are working to identify the rightful owners of the property," police said in a statement.

"We also continue to work with our partners at Alberta Health Services and Enmax to address safety concerns in relation to the residence."