More than 50 tenants of a housing complex in Williams Lake have not been allowed to move back in after a water main break flooded the first floor of the four-storey building on Nov. 20.
Rosanna McGregor, executive director of the Cariboo Friendship Society, told the Tribune the 52 tenants and staff at the Eagle’s Nest housing complex on Third Avenue South are spread out everywhere in the community.
All 52 tenants and the staff are not allowed in the building and the water has been turned off, she added.
Read more: Maintenance crews respond to flooding at Eagle’s Nest housing complex
McGregor said even though the situation has been declared an “emergency,” she is still waiting to receive reports from structural and mechanical engineers who have examined underneath the building to try to determine the cause of the water main break.
“Our tenants are victims of circumstance,” she said.
“Once we get the structural engineer’s report then a building permit will have to be issued from the City. We cannot do any work without the City’s approval.”
Palmer James Scott, 70, has called the Eagle’s Nest home for almost eight years and said he is feeling frustrated with the delay.
“It seems like they are playing a blame game,” he said. “I think they should fix the building so we can all move back in and then worry about determining the cause afterwards.”
His one-bedroom suite on the main floor was flooded with six inches of water.
In the first week he stayed for seven days at a motel, and then spent three weeks staying in a tent in the River Valley. Since then he has been staying in a friend’s suite but there are no cooking facilities.
“I’ve been trying to eat in restaurants, but that’s expensive on a senior’s pension.”
McGregor said Eagle’s Nest also provides programs for the tenants and the wider community, such as diabetes education, lunches two days a week, yoga and craft programs.
Scott said since he has lived there he has been amazed at how many people the building has helped.
“People look forward to going there for the programs,” Scott said.
Glen Arbor tenants still out from December’s sprinkler system flood
Mayor Walt Cobb said 14 tenants from Glen Arbor continue to live elsewhere as a result of the sprinkler system bursting the second weekend of December.
Read more: Glen Arbor sprinkler system bursts, forcing evacuation of 34 residents
“We’ve had all the contractors in and should be receiving the estimates soon,” Cobb, who is a board member of the building, said Monday.
Of the 14, one tenant is living at the Slumber Lodge, one at the Lakeside Motel, some are at Retirement Concepts and some are with family.
Cobb said he did not know exactly how long it will take for repairs to be completed, but the contractors will be asked to repair the units first and leave the dining room until last.
“The damaged pipe has been repaired and the sprinkler system is all back in working order,” he said, adding the contractors have been exceptional.
Damage at Glen Arbor was specific to the north side of the building and within a few days of the evacuation the tenants living on the south side were permitted to return home.
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