'Very upset': Senior housing residents plead for Sask. Housing Corporation to rebuild after winter fire
Former residents of a Carievale seniors housing complex want the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) to reconsider its decision to demolish the home.
Ten out of 14 suites at Cari-Villa, a social housing building for low-income seniors, suffered damage in a fire in January.
Ever since, the residents have been waiting for the SHC to decide if it will rebuild.
On Wednesday, the residents got an answer.
“We are not going to be rebuilding as the cost to rebuild Cari-Villa as it was is significant, and we have a high number of vacancies in the area,” said Roger Parenteau, executive director of housing operations with the SHC.
The SHC is giving the village the option to attain the property and take it over.
“If this isn’t feasible for the community, our plan will be to continue to keep the four remaining Cari-Villa units in our portfolio, and demolish the portion that was destroyed in the fire and remediate the site,” Parenteau said.
The announcement was made Wednesday evening at a meeting with the SHC, members of the village council and the Carievale Housing Authority (CHA).
Wendy Paul, the manager for the CHA, said they were given less than 24 hours notice of the meeting, and she is not happy with the outcome.
“I was very upset, very angry. I didn’t think it was fair,” Paul said.
“(The residents) have been through a lot the last two years with COVID and with the fire. This was just one more big kick for them to take.”
The fire displaced nine residents. Support was provided to help everyone connect with other social housing options in the area, according to the SHC statement.
Seven of the impacted tenants chose to continue accessing social housing and were relocated to other vacant housing units in Carievale and surrounding communities, Parenteau said, and the other two tenants chose to reside with family.
At least three of the residents had to move out of the community to find a new home, according to the CHA.
Patricia Henderson, who lived in Cari-Villa for almost a year, had to move into a small house with higher rent in Carievale. She said she is fortunate, but it does not feel like home.
“It is comfortable, but I want to be back with my family,” she said.
“I’m 79 years old. I’ve been paying taxes all those years. And now when I need my government, they say, ‘Nope, sorry we can’t do it because the bottom line won’t allow it,’” Henderson said.
Cathy Finkle, 77, temporarily moved in with her daughter and son-in-law. She was hopeful that her next move would be back into Cari-Villa, the place she had called home for five years.
“I don’t want to live anywhere else,” Finkle said. “It was everything. I loved every minute I was there. I felt at home. I felt secure.”
The residents and housing authority want the SHC to reconsider its decision.
The boiler room and one suite suffered the majority of the damage, Paul said, and most of the building is completely intact.
Linda Ewert Minshull, the village administrator, said council is discussing its options, but needs more information from the SHC before it can make a decision.
“We’re going to try with our every effort, but it’s not much of an option,” Ewert Minshull said. “You can’t throw something like that at a little village with no notice. There are no reserves.”
She said the housing corporation has tried to get the village to take over the villa in the past.
The SHC did not provide a purchase price for the building.
“If it’s our only option, we’ve got to try something,” Ewert Minshull said.
Carievale is located in the southeast corner of the province with a population of approximately 250 people.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.