Vickers Manor residents go hungry

Unreliable food service, overflowing garbage, and a lack of air conditioning are forcing residents at Vickers Manor to vacate.

On Tuesday, residents were seen roaming the halls of Vickers Manor, wondering whether they would have meals to eat and hygienic places to stay this week.

“Every single day I wake up, and I am terrified to come into work,” said Zoe Cunnington, the only dining room server at the facility.

Currently, only a handful of staff are working in the kitchen, she said.

“I’m the only server. There are two 14-year-old boys on the weekend… they’re 14; it’s hard for them,” she said. “They shouldn’t have to deal with all this responsibility.”

“I’ve been here completely by myself before multiple times as the only staff member,” she said.

The building, which has a history of maintenance issues, also received multiple fire code violation warnings from Thunder Bay Fire Rescue in April.

On July 13, the city urged residents to find somewhere else to stay before mid-August as the utilities in the building are expected to be shutoff on Aug. 18.

The building is also currently listed for sale for $18.9 million.

A GoFundMe page has been organized by Teresa Benwell, a former maintenance worker, to raise money to feed the residents after they were left to “fend for themselves” on Monday evening, Cunnington said.

“Sometimes we don’t have food to serve them,” she said. “That’s what happened yesterday. That’s why we were shut down.”

Vickers Manor did not pay the third-party catering service that supplies hot meals on weekends, Cunnington said.

“She didn’t have money to buy food, basically,” Cunnington said, adding there is no communication with management.

“I am constantly left in the dark. We don’t even know if we’re being shutdown or not. They basically told us to just ignore it; they called it gossip.”

The seniors have also faced hot temperatures inside the seniors’ home due to the lack of air conditioning, Cunnington said.

“They were supposed to fix the chiller; allegedly they did, but it doesn’t really feel like it,” she said. “It’s been 80 degrees in the kitchen, and at times I felt like I was going to pass out, vomit.”

Cunnington said there are roughly 20 to 30 residents who rely on meals included in their rent.

“Yesterday… I came down for supper there and the kitchen was closed. No kitchen staff, just tenants sort of milling around,” said Raimo Tilus, a resident at the facility.

“No idea, no reason, no explanation why.”

Vickers Manor has refused to reimburse residents for the cost of meals, and staff have been paying for them out of their own pockets, Vickers Manor resident Alyssa Kirk said.

“The two staff that we have here are actually paying it themselves for the food, so the residents can eat, but it can only go so far,” she said.

Kirk has luckily found a new place to live.

“Those who still don’t have a place I worry about, and I’m trying to think of anything I can to get them in touch with somebody that can help,” Kirk said.

The overflowing garbage in the hallway is a significant problem, she added.

“The garbage rooms are so full, they’re actually spilling out into the hallways, which is very unhealthy,” Kirk said.

Tilus doesn’t expect anyone to come in and buy Vickers Manor.

“The building’s going to be shut down on the 18th of August,” he said.

Utilities will be shut down on that date, he said.

“What (will) the next few weeks bring,” he said. “There’s nobody here that has any cooking facilities in their units.”

Newswatch has requested comment from the City of Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Vickers Manor management.- tbnewswaych.com

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Had the residents of Vickers Manor been living in tents in various locations around the city, there would be plenty of help for them.

They would have food. Garbage would be collected. City of Thunder Bay Admin would care.

We have reached the point in our society where people who contribute nothing to society, are a drain on our financial system, leave trash laying around the city, and constantly vandalize city and privately owned property, are the chosen ones.  The ones that governments choose to support.  Then there are the people living in DSSAB shitholes. …once again at the taxpayers’ expense.

If you spent your whole life contributing to the community. You pay your own  way.  You have never asked the city for help…ever.  You are left to fend for yourself.  Tough for you. Nothing can be done.

THAT is the Thunder Bay way.

Sooo why would anyone in their right mind move here?   Seriously?  Why?