Elevator users would get lift from MPP’s bill
Liberal legislation would force those responsible to fix them in a timely fashion
A Toronto MPP is pushing legislation to ensure elevators in apartments, condos and seniors’ homes are repaired promptly.
Liberal Han Dong (Trinity-Spadina) on Wednesday introduced a private member’s bill that would force elevators to be fixed within a week in long-term care facilities and retirement homes and two weeks in other residences.
“Elevators are essential for transporting in the daily lives of my constituents and a growing number of Ontarians,” said Dong, whose downtown riding includes booming Liberty Village.
“One resident told me that when the elevator goes out of service, seniors in his building, who cannot use the stairs, become trapped in their apartment. They cannot go out for groceries and they sometimes have to give up their medical appointments,” he said. Currently, there are no provincial regulations or city bylaws in place to make sure elevators are repaired quickly.
Dong said in some cases, residents can wait months for them to be fixed.
“Having a reliable elevator is essential for health safety. Getting home shouldn’t be difficult.”
Scofflaws who refuse to repair elevators in a timely manner could face fines of up to $50,000 for an individual and up to $250,000 for a corporation under the Consumer Protection Act. His legislation, the Reliable Elevators Act, would also affect future construction.
Under Dong’s proposal, all developers planning highrise buildings greater than seven floors would be required to conduct elevator-traffic analyses as a condition of gaining a building permit. That’s to make sure that enough elevators are included in any new buildings.
In a statement, Consumer Services Minister Tracy MacCharles praised the MPP for his initiative and said her department is working with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs “and other partners to explore the root causes of elevator availability issues and possible options to address them.” “We understand that out-of-service elevators can be a source of great frustration for highrise tenants and condo owners. It can be especially concerning for the elderly or people with disabilities who have no alternative means of getting from floor to floor,” MacCharles said.
“One resident told me that when the elevator goes out of service, seniors in his building, who cannot use the stairs, become trapped in their apartment.” HAN DONG LIBERAL MPP FOR TRINITY-SPADINA
Both opposition parties also expressed interest in the legislation, which will be debated April 6.
Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said “to have enhanced elevator safety . . . would be positive.”
“It doesn’t matter if an idea is an NDP idea, a Liberal idea or a PC idea — a good idea is a good idea,” Brown said. New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto Danforth) said “certainly having timely repair of elevators is going to matter to an awful lot of people.”