Broken elevators in Beltline apartment causing major concerns for residents with mobility issues
Hundreds of residents in a beltline apartment building are struggling to access their homes or leave them after both elevators broke down, leaving only a stairway as the way in or out of the building.
Tenants inside the 17 floor Birkenshaw Apartments building at 13 Avenue and Fifth Street said they’re anxious, frustrated, and in desperate need of groceries or medical supplies.
Dave Brault for example, requires a walker to move around and hasn’t left his residence for the past 10 days.
The senior citizen lives on the 16th floor and has already had to cancel three medical appointments as a result.
“I’ve had seizures before so it’s a matter of minutes to get oxygen and it takes several more minutes to go down the steps to carry someone down the stairs,” Brault said.
“That’s very life-threatening.”
Dave Brault for example, requires a walker to move around and hasn’t left his residence for the past 10 days.
Multiple residents confirmed to CTV News that one of the building’s elevators had not been working properly since early 2020, prompting the overuse of the second and only other operating lift.
Inevitably, the second elevator malfunctioned last week on July 21 when its motor blew, causing a fire in the building.
Dani Burke, who lives on the 17th floor has osteoarthritis and mobility issues. Burke wrote a letter to Homestead Land Holdings, which manages the building.
In it, she described the feeling of having to climb to the top of her building Saturday, which took more than 30 minutes and caused her to be in excruciating pain.
“Going down the stairs when one has osteoarthritis can be extremely dangerous, because if you even step slightly the wrong way, your knee gives out causing you to fall,” Burke said.
“It takes every effort possible for me to get from my bedroom to the washroom again, I’m still in so much pain.”
Burke added that the stairwells are particularly very cramped, claustrophobic and not properly ventilated.
The property management company has provided water bottles and chairs every couple of floors for people to take breaks, but some residents feel that’s unacceptable.
Lovell Young is a senior who lives on the 16th floor.
The man, who is in his 70s, suffers from COPD and has breathing problems, noting that he’s struggling to properly take care of his dog who provides him with company each day.
“I can’t get food, I can’t do my laundry, I can’t have visitors, no visitors, I can’t get medication, and I’m totally isolated,” he said.
Young mentioned that the property management team has opened up the rooftop of the building for dogs to go to the washroom, but several of the hallways and stairwells have been covered in urine and dog feces as a result.
Graffiti inside the Birkenshaw Apartment in Calgary, July 2021
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY RESPONDS
Homestead Land Holdings has offered residents of the Birkenshaw Apartment a free month of rent for August, along with a monthly rent discount of $125 for each suite which is effective from July 1 to December 15.
Free coffee and donuts have also been provided to residents on the ground floor. Security teams are working to assist people with getting up and down stairs and with the delivery of important supplies such as medication and groceries.
Homestead has apologized for the inconvenience and said it is working closely with Thyssen Krupp Elevators to ensure an expedited schedule for repairs is set and that both elevators can soon operate simultaneously.
An exact date for the repairs to commence or be completed was not provided, but Homestead mentioned the effects of COVID-19 have further delayed the delivery of parts.
In a statement to CTV News from Homestead Assistant VP Tom Gabriel, the company said the building’s second elevator suffered an unexpected motor failure.
“Parts sourced from the southern United States are expected to arrive today (July 26) and will be prepared for replacement in the second elevator on an urgent basis,” the statement read.
“We recognize the difficulty that this disruption poses to our residents and we have been working diligently with our elevator contractors to do everything possible to restore service to the building as quickly as possible. We appreciate our residents continued patience as we complete the repairs.”
Homestead added that it will continue to provide on-site physical assistance and financial compensation.
ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATE SPEAKS OUT
Co-founder and CEO of Included by Design Sean Crump noted that challenges accessing a building can be detrimental from an emergency standpoint.
“If a fire or something were to occur, having protocols or equipment such as Evac chairs are essential, you need collapsible chairs that are operable in fire wells and staircases to get people up and down safely,” he said.
“There’s a huge amount of anxiety that comes with being trapped and knowing that there is no way out or a number of barriers eliminates the independence and freedom of navigating your community.”
Crump added that all residents should have the opportunity to escape their apartment for quality-of-life purposes and management companies need to take issues like this very seriously.
In particular, it was concerning for him to hear that one of the Birkenshaw building’s elevators was down for more than a year.
“This needs to be a priority that proper maintenance is done and having issues dealt with as they arise because nothing ever operates 100 per cent.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.