Residents of Calgary townhouse complex fight against unsafe living conditions
Mold, bed bugs and rodents are just a few of the claims that some Calgarians living at one townhouse complex were protesting on Saturday.
A number of occupants of southeast Calgary's Trevella Townhomes and members of Eastside ACORN met outside their building Saturday. They say Mainstreet Equity Corp., the company that owns the building, is ignoring issues at the property.
They tell CTV News that along with the pests, the units don't have enough heat in the winter and there are ongoing water issues.
On top of that, they claim the homes don't meet the standards set out by the law and they constantly feel ignored by the property owners because of their socioeconomic status.
"This is Forest Lawn – it's considered low class," said Dena Carver, one of the protesters. "But we're not – we're just as good as anybody else in this city and we have the same rights as everybody in this city."
CTV News reached out to Mainstreet for a comment about the protest and allegations and a spokesperson said they are committed to the comfort and safety of their tenants.
"To ensure that translates into action, Mainstreet have full-time maintenance, landscaping, and pest control teams that respond immediately when residents inform us of an issue. Mainstreet maintains a 24-hour customer service line for this purpose," said Jesse Greenwell with Mainstreet.
Greenwell added they are "surprised" to hear about the issues at the building because ACORN hasn't reported anything to them.
Mainstreet says it will be investigating.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, 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.
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.
NEW 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.
'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.
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.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker 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.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.