Residents of a privately owned seniors’ building in Thunder Bay, Ont., are weighing their options as their landlord faces unpaid utility bills and dozens of fire code violations.
Vickers Manor, formerly called McKellar Place, provides housing for seniors who are able to live independently. The six-storey building on the city’s south side has 109 residential units and 10 commercial units, and is on sale for $18.9 million.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue conducted an inspection of the building at 325 Archibald St. S. on Feb. 27. They found 34 Ontario Fire Code violations and issued orders to SMS Property Trust Inc. to do work that was to be completed by April 28.
“It’s scary,” said Alyssa Kirk, a resident for five years. “This building can go up [in flames] at any time because it’s not properly monitored or protected.”
CBC News observed the inspection order documents taped onto an entrance door inside the building.
The orders include repairs to a number of exits, exit signs and emergency lighting units, as well as installation of carbon monoxide detectors and signage, removal of combustible materials, and the replacement of vents and multiple doors.
The owner also must conduct regular reviews of the fire safety plan and test fire extinguishers, hydrants, emergency lighting and the sprinkler system.
Residents are concerned about potential evictions — whether the building is sold or deemed unsafe to live in.
“They don’t let us residents know anything that’s going on,” said Sharon Zoschke, who moved in last year. “Some people are very worried.”
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Venisha Jay, executive director of Vickers Manor, said there has “been some inaccurate public reporting circulating regarding the facility.”
“At this time, there have been no resident evictions issued or discussed. Vickers Manor continues to operate and residents remain in place,” the statement issued Wednesday said.
“Our priority remains the safety, well-being and continuity of housing for our residents while operational matters are being addressed.
“Should there be any future updates directly impacting residents, those communications would be provided to residents and families first.”
A disconnection notice was issued by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) because of electrical safety concerns, which would have come into effect June 1.
However, a spokesperson for the ESA told CBC Newson Thursday afternoon that “the outstanding electrical work at Vickers Manor has been completed.”
As for unpaid utilities, a spokesperson for the electricity company Synergy North said May 22 that “a mutually agreed-upon payment arrangement is in place” for Vickers Manor.
Enbridge Gas said it cannot comment on individual accounts, including whether notices have been issued, due to privacy concerns. However, a spokesperson for the company said it “is aware of the situation involving Vickers Manor in Thunder Bay.”
“In situations like these, we work with account holders to explore potential resolutions and avoid service disruptions wherever possible,” they wrote in an email May 22.
CBC News spoke to Kirk and Zoschke separately. Each said it’s common knowledge among residents that the landlord is behind on the bills. The two tenants also mentioned a time when residents’ rent money was withdrawn early.
“We would like to know where our money has gone,” Kirk said, referring to rent they paid and what it was used for.
In addition to the required repairs, both Kirk and Zoschke said there have been frequent elevator outages; one of the elevators was out of order for an entire summer, they said.
Kirk said there was a flood this winter that created mould in her unit, which is still there.
Since the building is privately owned and operated, the City of Thunder Bay “does not have authority to intervene in matters related to ownership, operations, utilities or tenant relocation,” Michelle Williams, the city’s manager of communications and public relations, said in an email Monday.
However, Williams acknowledged the concerns around “unpaid utilities, the property being listed for sale, and the potential impact on residents” at Vickers Manor.
On Wednesday, the city arranged a meeting with the Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic to provide public legal education to tenants. The city’s social housing manager, the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board, was also there to discuss housing options at its buildings.
“The city has been working with tenants, caregivers and service providers to facilitate the sharing of information, support tenant safety and avoid the emergency evacuation of tenants, if possible,” Williams said in the email.
“The city remains in contact with relevant parties and continues to monitor the situation closely. We recognize the uncertainty this situation may cause for residents and their families, and resident safety remains a priority.”
There have been cases where municipalities have intervened at private buildings, such as what happened at 500 Dawes Rd. in Toronto. Under the city’s Remedial Action powers, meant to help protect tenants, it can hire contractors to do repairs that the landlord refuses to do.
Those powers were put into action at 500 Dawes Rd., where work included having pest control deal with rodents and cockroaches, repairing electrical fixtures in stairwells and common areas, and having garbage cleaned up and garbage chutes maintained.
Caycie Soke is a staff lawyer at the Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, which specializes in poverty and housing law.
Soke said it’s important for tenants to understand their rights and options under Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
The LTB is the top option tenants have to seek justice if their landlord fails to pay their bills, provide the necessities or make essential repairs, Soke said. That said, the board is still navigating a backlog of cases.
“It can be a pretty slow process, but we do find that people that do it tend to feel good about having their day in court and having their case heard — and sometimes we see really great outcomes.”
Kirk said she filed an application with the LTB in October and is awaiting a hearing.
In turn, landlords must also go through the LTB to issue an eviction notice, but in a case “where a landlord is defaulting and people aren’t able to live there if it’s unsafe, that ultimately results in an eviction as well.”
“That obviously puts a lot of concern and possible strain on other resources, right? — like shelters, or hospitals or family members that may not be equipped to support another person in the place that they’re in,” Soke said.
“The cascading impacts of having a number of tenants unhoused could be astronomical for a city of our size.”
Zoschke said she’s on several housing waitlists, but “it can take years” to get in.
“If I had a place to go, I wouldn’t be living here. I’d be living there,” she said.
Despite this, she feels confident the situation at Vickers Manor will be resolved.
Kirk holds out hope that someone new will take over the building. She’s been on a waitlist to get into long-term care for four or five years.
“If this building becomes unlivable, all I could do is go out that door and keep on going because I’ve got nowhere to go.”
Her message to the building’s next owner is to do what they can to make the building a place that people can call home.
“Once that is done, just talk to us, be honest with us, include us. Movie night, bingo night — give us things to do and just be one of us.”
