Ottawa woman trapped in apartment for 10 days after May storm
For 10 days, Lynn Ashdown was trapped in her 11th floor apartment, alone and afraid. Her Fisher Heights condo building lost power in the storm on May 21 and, without a backup generator, the elevators had stopped.
“I was a prisoner here for 10 days, with no means to get out. There are serious consequences to this. My medical issues did worsen, my cognitive health did worsen, my mental health did worsen,” Ashdown said.
Ashdown uses a wheelchair and deals with a brain injury. She is more prepared than most for the potential dangers of a power outage, but after 72 hours in the dark, she began to panic.
“Definitely the worst case scenario. What goes through my mind is, ‘Okay, how do I take care of my medical needs?’” she said.
Luckily, Ashdown has a background as a physician and she was able to attend to her own medical needs as much as possible. Friends and her doctors also helped, carrying food up to her apartment, and bringing portable chargers for her cellphone—her only means of communication with those outside her small apartment.
“This is going to take me a long time to get over, this experience. It really has kind of traumatized me. It was worse than the worst-case scenario I had imagined,” Ashdown said.
Now, in the wake of the storm, she’s advocating for all apartment buildings in the city to have backup generators for their elevators.
In Toronto, city council has recommended buildings have a backup generator, but the city does not enforce the suggestion.
In Ottawa, some new buildings are equipped with backup power for elevators, but city councillor Keith Egli says there are thousands living in buildings without the safety measure.
Egli will bring a motion to the next council meeting calling on the city to ensure there are backup generators in all apartments, but city staff say the legislation could prove difficult.
“If a building is built in the 1960s, it’s under one set of rules; if it’s built in the 2000s it has another set of rules. In all likelihood, we’re going to find that we need to go to the province to get some sort of harmonization of the rules,” said Stephen Willis, General Manager of Planning, Real Estate and Development for the City of Ottawa.
In nearby Merivale Gardens, others living with disabilities faced similar challenges but managed to escape extended hardship, thanks to working generators.
“The generator lost power on Tuesday, it ran out of gas and we lost power and were stuck in the dark on the 11th floor for a whole day, but after that they got it going again,” said Monica Belanger, who lives on the 11th storey of her apartment building with her husband Stephen, who also uses a wheelchair.
“I had to cancel his home care for a week and that’s been very difficult,” she added.
Ashdown says she’s hopeful that city legislation can better protect those like her, and the many others who were stranded in the aftermath.
“Once the dust settles people forget, people forget very quickly, so this is the time to act,” Ashdown said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.