City urges Vickers Manor residents to find other accommodations

The City of Thunder Bay is urging tenants at Vickers Manor, the privately-owned seniors residence at the former McKellar Hospital site, to find somewhere else to stay before mid-August.

Over 60 residents and clients of care services live in the building.

According to a letter sent to residents, caregivers and service providers by Kelly Robertson, the city’s commissioner of community services, the facility at 325 Archibald Street South will no longer have electricity or natural gas service as of Aug. 18.

“The City has received notice from Synergy North and Enbridge that electrical power and natural gas service to the building will be disconnected…due to significant unpaid utility accounts associated with the property,” the letter states. “Both utility providers have taken extraordinary measures to provide the property owner with opportunities to address these outstanding arrears. However we have been advised that the amounts owed continue to increase and utility disconnections will proceed.”

Newswatch has reached out to management at Vickers Manor, which is owned by a Toronto-area group, but has not yet received a response.

In an interview Monday morning, Robertson said when electrical power is disconnected, the life safety systems and elevators will not operate, making the building unsafe for occupancy, while cutting natural gas service will result in the loss of hot water, kitchen services and the HVAC system.

Utility services were on the verge of being terminated last May, but that was temporarily averted.

The building has a history of maintenance issues and has been listed for sale for almost $19 million.

A reliable source has told Newswatch that 41 people rent apartments in the building.

Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario supports 12 additional residents on the 6th floor, while a similar number of clients of Community Services for Independence Northwest live on the fourth floor.

Robertson said given its condition, “the financial issues facing the property which are becoming irreparable,” and the anticipated continued loss of essential services, the city “strongly encourages” all tenants to secure alternate accommodations prior to Aug. 18.

She said the city has limited authority to intervene in matters related to ownership, finances, utilities and operations, but “I am playing a role in listening to the tenants that contact me and trying to confirm whether they have alternative accommodations or not, and ask them, if not, what I can do to help support them in trying to find accommodation.”

Robertson said the city’s Municipal Emergency Control Group will meet this week to coordinate preparedness efforts with community partners and to support planning activities should service disruptions actually occur.

Alice Bellavance, CEO of Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario, said she understands there is an offer to purchase the building.

The city’s letter to the residents, however, states there is no certainty that a sale will be completed before the disconnections occur, so they “should not rely on a potential sale as a solution.” – tbnewswatch.com

article website here

And go where exactly?

Who owns the building?  Inquiring Minds want to know.   The person or company’s name need to be made public.  The directors of the company.  Everyone.  We need to know who they are.

Sunshine is the best disinfectant and this person/company needs to be exposed to a lot of light.