Faulty elevators prompt fears
DISABLED RESIDENT SAYS ISSUES AT WEST LETHBRIDGE BUILDING HAVE GONE ON FOR MONTHS
The failure of both elevators at a high rise apartment building in west Lethbridge is putting vulnerable residents at risk, says one disabled tenant. James Campbell, who suffers from a long-term spinal injury and is basically now shut-in because of these failures, said problems with the elevators at his 16-storey building at 37 Berkeley Place West, known as the Skyline Terrace managed by Northview, have been going on for months.
“Our building has been having quite serious elevator problems,” Campbell explained.
“The first time it started up was August 2020. First one elevator went down, and then the second elevator went down. And then in December, around the end of the month, again the first elevator went down.
“And then the second elevator, the only remaining working one, started going all the way to the top, working its way down, and opening and closing the doors 24/7.”
It finally failed last Sunday, he said, leaving him and others in the apartment tower in a precarious position. He feels the building’s management should have been taking greater pre-emptive steps to prevent the loss of both elevators at the same time.
“The fact they have known they have had elevator issues for quite a while, and they had no good plan in place if the elevators go down, this is something they should have seen coming,” he said. “Everybody knew in the building the final elevator was going to break. It was making horrible noises going to every floor while opening and closing the doors.
“I know there is quite a few people in the building that have to receive homecare, and I don’t know if they will climb 16 floors.
“I can’t get my mail. I am literally trapped. I can probably make it down (in an emergency), but I couldn’t make it back up.”
The original estimate provided by Northview to tenants for getting one elevator up and running was four weeks.
A more recent communication from Northview obtained by The Herald said management was hoping to have it fixed now by the beginning of March, and offered additional supports to vulnerable residents during the interim period.
“We continue to work with Thyssenn krupp,” says an email sent to tenants from Tammie Cameron, regional manager for Northview, “our elevator supplier on expediting the repairs to our elevators. While we continue to push for quicker timing, we have been told to expect the repairs for the first elevator in the first week of March and mid-March for the second elevator.
"We appreciate that this is not ideal and continue to work with the supplier to advance repairs as quickly as possible.”
Cameron commits to providing $100 to tenants toward their March rent, an option to temporarily relocate to vacant suites in a lower level until repairs are completed, assistance in delivery and carrying packages upstairs to units and assistance in navigating stairs up to units if needed.
The email does not explain how tenants would be able to access these additional supports.
Campbell said in his case relocation might be impossible anyway given his medical needs. “I have a spinal injury,” he emphasized.
“No one, except for an ambulance, can help me up and down the stairwell. I also have specific sleeping needs; so I would have to have quite a bunch of my stuff moved to another suite. I don’t even know what is the best option for me.” Campbell said the current situation is scary for him because he already has been having difficulty accessing his usual outside community supports due to COVID-19.
“Having a disability, you are locked inside,” he stated. “Because everybody else is dealing with COVID — those are your support group. So your support group is extremely strained too. Like for food delivery — I do have somebody from my church, but he has just had two surgeries for carpal tunnel — so it’s not like he can easily carry groceries up 11 floors, right? It’s scary, because suddenly it’s ‘I can’t even go outside. I can’t get my mail. I can’t get my groceries. I have to depend on other people who are in a stressful situation themselves.’”
The Herald requested an interview or additional comment from Northview on the situation, but did not hear back from its representatives prior to press time on Friday.