“We’re suffering”

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

It was bad ride for residents at 330 Gibb Street who were left without a functioning elevator for nearly 15 weeks.

The four-storey apartment building’s single elevator had not been working since the beginning of March before it finally received a stamp of approval from the Technical Standards and Safety Association (TSSA).

This forced residents, many of them seniors, to take the stairs, 144 for those living on the fourth floor.

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Express they’ve been staying inside for days on end because their knees just can’t handle the stairs. They can only manage them with the help of an assistant.

“People here, we’re in a desperate situation, we’re suffering,” the resident said.

Residents were first informed that the elevator would be down for six-to-eight weeks after the TSSA ordered the lift to be replaced.

However, entering the 15th week, the elevator was still not running.

When contacted, building manager Paul Nelson explained the replacement of the elevator had been completed for two weeks, but they were only waiting on the final inspection by the TSSA, something that has been rescheduled twice already before the final inspection took place on June 15.

Nelson suggests the TSSA is overwhelmed with work at the moment with the imminent start of the Pan Am Games.

“Because of the Pan Am Games going on, all the inspectors have been stuck in the city trying to get everything working there,” he says.

Nelson says the elevator also faced delays in work replacing the pistons that go 40 feet into the ground, and shipments of parts being delayed. He also says the delays are an unfortunate reality with this type of work.

“I’ve been through this before with other buildings that I’ve worked at and usually you end up being two to three months,” he says.

When contacted for comment, Schindler, the elevator’s manufacturer and responsible for the modernization, responded to The Express with an emailed statement.

“As a leading manufacturer of elevators and escalators, Schindler is committed to the safety of the equipment it maintains, its workers and the riding public,” Kathy Rucki, the manager of corporate communications said.

The issue has also been brought to the attention of city hall, with Councillor John Neal trying to see some change.

At a special meeting of council on June 12, Neal brought forward a motion that would see staff investigate the city’s options for assisting residents in these situations.

The motion states that because the city and the province seem to have no authority to address these issues and require landlords to provide alternative means of elevating devices during repairs, it can jeopardize the health of residents.

Staff is now slated to consult with the province’s Department of Municipal Affairs, TSSA and industry leaders to discuss the topic and see what can change.

“Due to the age and the number (of elevators) that are being held for repair…it’s unbelievable what some of these (people) have to go through to get up and down,” Neal said.