Elderly residents sweltered during apartment power outage

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This article was published 09/08/2018 (2772 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the midst of an emerging heat wave, hundreds of elderly residents of a North End apartment block were without power and air conditioning for almost two days before the lights came on Wednesday night.

A basement flood damaged electrical components Monday night at St. Josaphat Selo-Villa and, while electricians had completed the work Wednesday afternoon, they couldn’t turn the power back on until the City of Winnipeg approved it.

In a text message to the Free Press at 7:30 p.m., property manager George Ehr said power had been restored: “Engineer approved it, city inspector approved it, Hydro approved it and power was turned back on.”

Prior to the announcement, hundreds of the retirement home’s residents — some with disabilities — had been left without power for almost two days, with little to do but sweat. 

Dozens of people, mostly elderly, milled outside the apartment block on McGregor Street on Wednesday afternoon. Some found it more comfortable to sit outside in the 30 C heat — closer to 34 C with the humidex — than be inside. 

“At least there’s a breeze,” Harold Trybel said, sitting outside the building’s front door. He said he’s been keeping himself occupied with a battery-powered radio, listening to the news and music. But other residents weren’t as lucky. 

“It’s pathetic. I can’t sleep. I’ve been taking showers about four or five times a day — it’s too hot,” Susan Reuben said. “I’m pissed off.”

The issue began Monday night, when water flooded the basement where the building’s electric control boxes are located. The power was shut off, Ehr said, in order to find where the water came from. 

Contractors had been working on the problem near 24/7, Ehr said. By Wednesday afternoon, most of the problems had been fixed and he had expected power to be available by 3 p.m.

“Then it’s a matter of an engineer putting a stamp on it, so the city inspector allows us to turn the hydro back on,” Ehr said when reached by phone.

The building was sweltering Wednesday, as about a dozen seniors were seated in chairs in the waiting area. Some of their faces glistened with sweat. 

Without power, the tenants’ refrigerated food spoiled and had to be thrown away.

“Chicken spoiling. Fish spoiling. I’ve got nowhere to put it,” 92-year-old Nellie Mikawos said. 

St. Josaphat Selo-Villa’s property management company said it would reimburse tenants with a $100 cheque. But some, such as Reuben, live on social assistance — she said $100 isn’t enough. 

“I just wasted $370 on groceries — and I’m diabetic,” she said. “What’s $100? You can’t buy nothing with $100 nowadays.” 

One concerned woman, whose husband lives in the complex, set up a GoFundMe campaign to help low-income residents afford food. 

The property company brought in submarine sandwiches for residents Wednesday night and served them in the main floor banquet hall. It served residents sandwiches Tuesday, too, they said. 

Mikawos said she was tired of sandwiches. “Bologna sandwiches… it’s making me sick,” she said.

While some residents felt abandoned by the facility management, others — along with community members — swooped in to lend a hand. 

St. Josaphat Selo-Villa resident Valerie Larocque, her sister, Annette Lane, and the rest of their family brought food and water for the hot seniors and anyone else who needed it. They were also knocking on apartment doors, checking on residents. 

“Anything we can do for them,” Larocque said. 

A woman whose husband lives in the building brought a kiddy pool to be filled with ice and water on the apartment’s lawn. 

Representatives of the Bear Clan Patrol community group came by Wednesday and offered to collect fruit, pastries and sundries for residents. 

No residents were hurt or had gotten sick from the heat, as far as Larocque knew. 

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca