Tenants with reduced mobility are exasperated at being stuck in their homes due to repeated breakdowns of the only elevator in their eight-story community apartment building.
“It takes me back to the anxious feeling of the pandemic, when I couldn’t go out and I didn’t see my mother for months,” says Laurent Morissette.
Born prematurely at 29 weeks, the 41-year-old suffered a lack of oxygen at birth. He cannot get up and walk, and must use a motorized wheelchair.
He lives in a building at Loggia Community Habitations, in the Rosemont district of Montreal. He no longer counts the breakdowns of the only elevator in the building where he moved since construction, in 2007.
The last time, he had to cancel a medical appointment because he was unable to go out.
Off for two weeks
From Monday, December 2 to Friday, December 13, the elevator will be completely shut down for the umpteenth time, for work.
“Knock on wood, I’m teleworking. I’m crossing my fingers that I won’t get sick and that I won’t have to go to the hospital,” said Mr. Morissette, who works in IT.
He won’t even be able to see a friend who lives on another floor, also in a wheelchair.
This is because the building has around ten other tenants with reduced mobility supported by the Pignon sur Roues organization, which offers home care services so that they can live independently.
“There are always problems. At Thanksgiving, it was three days. It’s a long time, three days. There are often long outages,” says Hélène Painchaud, who lives at 8e floor.
The 77-year-old woman will limit her travel in December, but is especially worried about her even less mobile neighbors who will have to stay in their apartment.
It is difficult to explain why there is only one elevator in the community building where people with reduced mobility live.
The problem will be resolved, assures management
“There is major work that must be done to ensure maintenance and safety. We are sorry, but we have no choice,” defends the general director of Loggia Community Housing, Catherine Boucher.
She met with tenants this week to see what support they will need while the elevator is down.
She assures that the work will not last beyond December 13 and that the problem will then be resolved.
