A Weekly Dispute Takes Shape

GUELPH, Ont. — Residents of The Evergreens condo building say a long-running dispute over barbecue smoke has settled into a highly structured weekly routine involving written complaints, rib acquisition, and at least one police visit that concluded with no charges and, according to one resident, a request for extra sauce.

The Complaint Schedule

At the centre of the matter is Dennis Krause of Unit 302, who has spent much of the spring and early summer cooking ribs on his balcony grill on Saturday afternoons. Directly above him, Chester Beale of Unit 402 has responded by submitting formal written complaints to the condio board each weekend alleging “excessive smoke and disruption” before reportedly arriving at Dennis’s door at 6 p.m. sharp with a Tupperware container and what residents described as a cooperative expression.

“It’s a cycle,” Dennis said, standing near a covered grill and a folding chair that he said now serves as “the unofficial complaint reception desk.” “Around 3 o’clock, Chester sends in a letter. Around 6, he comes downstairs asking whether the ribs are done resting. By 6:10, he’s usually saying he still objects to the principle of it.”

Dennis’s wife, Marlene Krause, said the pattern has become so reliable that she now sets aside a portion before guests arrive.

“I label one container ‘evidence’ and one container ‘for Chester,’” Marlene said. “That way nobody gets confused when the doorbell rings and somebody starts with bylaw language before accepting coleslaw.”

Formal Objections, Informal Dinner

Residents say Beale’s complaints have remained consistent in tone and formatting. Copies reviewed by neighbours describe the barbecue as a recurring nuisance, with references to smoke drift, noise from patio chairs, and “the destabilizing psychological effect of smelling meat one did not plan for.” In each complaint, Beale reportedly asks the board to “act decisively.” By early evening, several resident said, that decisiveness tends to soften into a request for the end pieces.

Reached in the hallway outside the building’s mail area, Beale maintained that his concerns are legitimate and unrelated to his attendance at dinner-adjacent hours.

“My position has always been clear,” he said while holding an empty blue container with the lid already off. “This is about order, ventilation, and consistent standards in a shared residential environment. If a man happens to have a few ribs ready while these matters are being discussed, that is a separate civic process.”

Condo board president Elaine Mercer confirmed that The Evergreens has received repeated Saturday submissions concerning Unit 302 and has opened what she called “an unusually fragrant file.”

“We have documented concerns about smoke, lingering aroma in the stairwell, and one allegation that the scent of slow-cooked pork caused a resident to abandon a salad,” Mercer said. “At the same time, the board has had difficulty determining whether repeated personal attendance with food storage equipment weakens the complainant’s position.”

Board Review and Police Response

Mercer said the board has attempted mediation but found the facts unusually stable. Dennis grills. Chester objects in writing. Chester then arrives at 6 p.m. and leaves with enough food to justify another complaint the following week.

Guelph police confirmed officers were called to the building during one of the disputes after voices were heard in the corridor near the elevators. No charges were filed. According to residents, the matter was resolved after both parties explained the sequence of events and officers determined the argument was “mostly procedural.” One resident said the responding officers remained professional throughout, though one allegedly asked whether the rub contained brown sugar.

Police did not comment on that detail, but confirmed the call did not result in enforcement action, and that the ribs they left with was not a bribe, but strictly evidence.

Residents Adjust to the Arrangement

Several neighbours described the conflict as one of the more functional disputes in the building, noting that it begins with written hostility and ends with side dishes. A resident on the third floor, Nadine Morrow, said she has come to use Beale’s arrival as a time signal.

“When Chester goes downstairs with the container, I know it’s six,” she said. “Frankly, it’s the most dependable thing in this building apart from the recycling confusion.”

Dennis said he haas considered changing his cooking schedule but does not see the point.

“If I move it to Sunday, he’ll probably file on Sunday,” he said. “Then we’d lose the structure. Right now everybody knows where they stand. He stands upstairs objecting, then downstairs beside the potato salad.”

Next Meeting Expected to Revisit Matter

As summer continues, The Evergreens condo board is expected to revisit the matter at its next meeting, where members will reportedly debate the legal definition of “delicious” as it applies to shared-air disputes. Meanwhile, Guelph police are said to be informally considering whether situations of this kind warrant a dedicated “BBQ Liaison,” though no such role has been approved,  89.2% of  cops in the district have already submitted thier resumes for it.

Until then, residents expect the Saturday process to continue as scheduled.