Winnipeg house explosion remains a mystery for neighbours two years later

Two years later, questions persist following a house explosion in Transcona. Jeff Keele reports.

Nearly two years later, neighbours are still looking for answers as to what caused a house to blow up on their Transcona street.

“Don’t know what to say,” said homeowner Karl Lent. “You should have a decision within two years, I would think.”

On June 26, 2024, Karl Lent was in his garage when two blasts shook him. He scrambled to his front yard, where he saw debris, his car destroyed, and his neighbour’s house in flames.

“I just couldn’t believe what I saw, like his house was gone, my deck was on fire, and the corner of my house was gone,” said Lent.

The explosion happened on Camrose Bay. Sharon Nikkel lives three houses down and was in her basement at the time.

“[I heard]This big kaboom and the house actually shook,” said Nikkel.

Nikkel, Lent and others on the street say they still don’t know what caused the house to explode, which traumatized the neighbourhood and they want to know.

“Why is it taking two years? What’s going on with that investigation?” said Nikkel.

Both the Winnipeg Police Service and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service tell CTV News there are no new updates to provide, and the matter remains under investigation.

At the time of the explosion, the WPS said the investigation could take months or longer.

The residents also want to know what’s happening with the empty lot where the home once stood. It has a pile of dirt on it, and they say it isn’t maintained properly.

Both houses on either side of the explosion, including Lent’s, had to be demolished. New homes have risen from the ashes on those sites, but that rebuilding process has taken time. Lent moved in last Halloween, while it appears work is still being done on the neighbours.

“It just doesn’t seem like home yet,” said Lent. “We’re making it a home.”

While everyone tries to settle in again, it’s hard to forget. Nikkel says she had to see a doctor, describing herself as a nervous wreck.

“If I hear like a firecracker or any kind of noise, a car backfiring, it just makes me jump out of my skin,” said Nikkel.

Lent has a similar reaction.

“I hear a big bang, I still kind of flinch,” said Lent.