Citadel family faces stream of bylaw complaints after house fire
The night before the fire, the Marshes were a family of four – plus their six pets – and all together under one roof.
But then, early in the morning on July 15, a fire started in the garage of their Citadel home, and the compromises and strains of the following months would scatter them.
"We had four dogs, a cat and a bunny," said Robert Marsh, laughing.
"Yes, it was a handful and a houseful."
The fire destroyed the attached garage of their Citadel home and cut into the main-floor living area.
The house can be saved, but the costly renovation has much of it gutted down to the studs.
Unable to find a home for the whole family and their pets, Marsh took a trailer they'd bought in the summer and parked it in the driveway of the vacant home to live with the dogs while his wife and kids stayed at a hotel.
But soon complaints started coming in to City of Calgary bylaw enforcement – the RV was parking for more than 36 hours, the tongue of the trailer was hanging over the driveway a little, the temporary electrical box in the garage by the insurance company's contractor wasn't exactly to code, the protective fencing wasn't properly secured.
Marsh says most neighbours have been very supportive and understanding of the family’s situation, knowing it is temporary.
But someone has called bylaw again and again, and that has some other neighbours upset.
"Somebody who loses their home in a house fire and (is) having to live in a trailer on their driveway in the winter months, people should absolutely have no problem with it," said Ranya Assaf, who lives two doors down.
"If you have a problem with it, you're just kicking someone when they're low."
The Marshes have been forced to re-home two of their dogs.
The cat and rabbit are now living with another neighbour in Citadel.
Mom Julia and their 17-year-old son are in a hotel for now.
Their teenage daughter is attending school out of province.
The family applied to the city for relief from the bylaw issues on compassionate grounds a month ago, but the city is still reviewing the application.
A traffic enforcement officer was at the home again on Thursday.
"We recognize the impact that the fire has had on the family and empathize with their situation," the city said in a statement.
"The residents have applied for a recreational vehicle permit, which would allow the RV to stay parked where it is beyond the typical timeframe under our bylaw (the bylaw currently allows RVs to be parked for 36 hours maximum).
"However, the city has received a number of complaints from the community, and we are reviewing the issues to ensure that we are balancing compassion for the residents with the overall safety for the community, before we can make a determination on the permit."
Renovations will move forward once cost estimates and contractor bidding is complete – a process required by the family's insurer.
"We'll look after the family first and foremost," said Marsh.
"This can always be rebuilt, right? And the community – Citadel – has been fantastic."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Big, dark canvas of despair': Rick Hansen speaks on how his mindset changed after being paralyzed
Rick Hansen's life changed the day he was told he'd never walk again, but instead of letting his disability stand in his way, he became an advocate for accessibility rights and a Paralympic Athlete. Here's how that happened.
Sandie Rinaldo: Rick Hansen marks the 50th anniversary of his life-changing accident by visiting the scene
Rick Hansen lost the use of his legs in a truck accident when he was just 15 years old, CTV National News anchor, Sandie Rinaldo interviewed him recently while visiting the place where his life changed irrevocably.
Israeli offensive shifts to crowded southern Gaza, driving up death toll despite evacuation orders
Israel pounded targets in the crowded southern half of the Gaza Strip on Saturday and ordered more neighborhoods designated for attack to evacuate, driving up the death toll even as the United States and others urged it to do more to protect Gaza civilians.
Protester critically injured after setting self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
A protester was in critical condition Friday after setting themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, authorities said. A security guard who tried to intervene was also injured.
Russia brings new charges against jailed Kremlin foe Navalny
Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been handed new charges by Russian prosecutors.
Gatineau, Que. Facebook Marketplace sellers using fake addresses to scam buyers
Residents of a Gatineau, Que. neighbourhood have been dealing with a string of strangers knocking at the doors of their homes looking to pick up their purchased products from Facebook Marketplace, but instead discovering they had been scammed.
Alleged Montreal-area 'Chinese police stations' planning to sue RCMP for $2.5 million
Two Chinese community centres in the Montreal area are planning to launch a $2.5 million defamation lawsuit against the RCMP and the Attorney General of Canada after being accused by the police force of hosting 'alleged Chinese police stations.'
Lawyer in Ali murder trial says 13-year-old B.C. victim was not an 'innocent'
Ibrahim Ali's lawyer says the 13-year-old girl he's accused of murdering in a British Columbia park wasn't the “innocent” depicted in a “rose-coloured” portrayal by the Crown at trial.
'I cry all the time': Nova Scotia couple returns after 40 days in Gaza
It has been five days since Palestinian-Canadian couple, Khalil and Nabila Manna, returned from visiting relatives in Gaza, but while the couple planned to visit for a short-period of time, the Israel-Hamas conflict left them stranded for 40 days