Highrise tenants want action amid slow repairs to Canada Day flood damage

Highrise tenants want action amid slow repairs to Canada Day flood damage

Chutes out of order and generators still needed, tenants say

Tenants of Ottawa apartment building push for action amid slow repairs to Canada Day flood damage

It's been nearly three months since the massive July 1 downpour that left the main floor and basement of 30 McEwen Ave., under water, but many who live there are still dealing with the damage left behind.

Now, tenants of the apartment building west of downtown Ottawa are renewing calls for action amid slow repairs.

"Generators are placed right next to the building — just imagine you have a constant humming sound in [the] background in your house," said resident Saransh Singh.

"We can still smell the fumes. I don't open my windows anymore.… It has been terrible."

Residents say the laundry and garbage chutes at the 228-unit tower are still out of order and since it is running on a generator, there are often power outages which shut down elevators.

Tenants of flood-damaged buildings seek answers about their rights

Those are just some of the concerns written out in a letter that tenants delivered on Thursday to their property management company Saickley Enterprises.

While Singh is still living there, others said they are not due to its condition.

"We all want to get back home into our apartments, but we can't because it doesn't feel safe right now," said tenant Tammy Smith, who said she has been staying with family and friends.

"It's been horrible. A lot of people are just calling it a nightmare. And we just don't know when it's going to end."

Those who signed the letter are asking for timelines and reimbursements from the rent they paid over the summer because of these damages.

"This is not the [service] that we paid for," Singh said.

Residents who dropped off the letter at the Saickley Enterprises head office say a representative did physically accept it at the door.

In a statement to CBC News, the company said the claims made by the tenants have been "addressed numerous times in regular memos and updates" since the day of the flooding, adding that it will continue to give updates when they are available.

"They have made some progress in recent weeks, but we still have a lot of concerns," Smith said. "We want them to be more accountable and move faster."

In its latest update to residents Wednesday, Saickley Enterprises said restoration work continues.

The company did not announce timelines, but asked for continued patience as the company works through plans, city permits, and other needed approvals.

Saickley Enterprises also said it will be upgrading the amenities for residents, which are expected to include a larger gym, a new laundry room and new lounge spaces.

Jenna Legge is a reporter with CBC in Ottawa. Before that, she worked as a journalist on Prince Edward Island, with earlier stints in Winnipeg and Toronto. She holds a master's degree in international journalism from City University of London, and also studied journalism, law and political science at Carleton University. She can be reached at jenna.legge@cbc.ca