Elevator outage strands residents in Clarence Street apartment for nearly a week
Two elevators at an Ottawa apartment building that houses subsidized units have been out for nearly a week.
It means residents who are in wheelchairs or have difficulty taking the stairs, haven’t been able to leave home.
Phil Major is in a wheelchair and needs assistance getting around. He misses being able to enjoy the August sunshine and the vibrancy of downtown Ottawa.
"I cannot access the garden outside, I cannot access anything, absolutely nothing," said Major.
The Ottawa resident has been trapped indoors for nearly a week because of an elevator outage at 145 Clarence Street.
"It’s awful, I’m going crazy," he said.
Major says the nightmare began when his personal support worker was visiting last Friday and got stuck in one of the elevators for an hour. The elevators were then out of service.
His unit is on the top floor and the only way up or down is multiple flights of stairs.
"When he’s been alone in his apartment, it’s been pretty tough for him to stay positive," said Allison Anderson, a family friend.
Major says if the building were to have a fire, someone would die because of a lack of access to the ground floor.
The building is managed by the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, which provides subsidized housing.
A statement from the corporation says, "Although we are pressing the supplier very hard, the component is unlikely to be here until next week. Getting the elevators back up and running as soon as possible is everyone’s priority.
"CCOC maintains a list of tenants requiring assistance and staff have reached out to them directly and individually. CCOC also has a partnership with VHA Home HealthCare (VHA), a not-for-profit charitable organization that offers 24/7 health care and support services. We are keeping them updated on the issue so they can coordinate additional support as needed during this time."
Anderson says the only update that they have gotten is that the elevators will be out of service until late next week.
"This building has designated floors for people who need nurses and extra care, these people can’t get down 12 flights of stairs on their own," she said.
Major is hoping the elevator is back in service as soon as possible as the ordeal is weighing on his mental health.
"I’m stuck here all day, all day," he said.
Another problem at the building is a ringing alarm in the lobby. Residents say it has been incredibly annoying and there’s been no sign of that being resolved.
A spokesperson from CCOC says they are also working on that maintenance issue.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
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.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'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.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.