Ongoing renovations at Cariboo Sunset Manor are still creating discussion after more residents have come forward and BC Housing maintains cleanliness and timelines are on track.
A meeting at the subsidized housing facility on Feb. 2, 2023, initiated by residents, included acknowledgment by many living there the renovations are needed and will result in significant improvements, including improved air filtration, energy-efficiency and air conditioning.
“It’s going to be a huge benefit to everyone living here,” said Denise Troyer, a resident, whose son is also the caretaker.
However, some still said living in a construction zone as a senior, some with physical and mental health challenges, for an extended period should mean greater consideration by property management.
One woman broke into tears as she explained how her husband had left the building due to the construction, while she couldn’t join him where he was temporarily staying at a family rural property due to limited mobility.
Additional concerns voiced by some residents included tripping hazards, heavy dust, constant noise and a lack of shared spaces or respite from their suites crowded with boxed belongings all while continuing to pay full rental rates throughout the process. Workers still required access to some units, coming in and out, with some residents finding this very challenging, as many don’t have another place to go.
Many residents, however, also spoke appreciatively of the workers doing the improvements and some on the ground floor said they have seen regular sweeping and mopping of hallways and the main lobby.
BC Housing said they attended the building for a site visit Jan. 17 and found no concerns and said the project manager also completes bi-weekly walk-throughs.
Some residents also wanted to emphasize what they love about the facility, including shared decks on each end of the upper floors, views of green spaces filled with light and wildlife, a library with couches, exercise equipment, and hairdressing amenities, a shared games and meeting room, with a kitchen for social events or visiting family, and a hobby room where residents could play cards, do puzzles and other activities.
However, none of these spaces are currently clean or usable. Cleaning up a shared space where residents could get away from noise and dust was all that would be needed to make the ongoing renovations less disruptive, noted one resident.
“We are working with the contractors to make as many of the common areas as possible available to tenants while the remainder of renovations take place, and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the work,” stated BC Housing, though none except the main lobby were usable when the Tribune visited.
BC Housing says residents can come forward to management and reach out to Kate Harry, the project supervisor for New City Construction. They can also reach out to communityrelations@bchousing.com, BC Housing’s community relations inbox or contact Ryan Lin (rlin@bchousing.org) for concerns related to construction, or Kelly Glenn (kglenn@bchousing.org) for all other tenant-related concerns.
Those who came forward to the Tribune said previous attempts to complain to building management and the project supervisor have not resulted in much change.
“We’re not being listened to,” said Richard Prodnuk, a manor resident of five years.
BC Housing said there were weekly meetings for residents to bring concerns forward, starting in August of 2022, those were ended when residents determined they would only happen when necessary.
Since the concerns raised by residents over the past couple of weeks in the Tribune, BC Housing said they are working to reinstate the weekly meetings, though this had not occurred before the visit on Feb. 2.
Prodnuk and fellow resident Gale Zemer brought photographs of the dust, cluttered elevator lobbies, potential tripping hazards and video detailing the noise, which begins at 8 a.m. most days, with work happening up to six days a week.
Prodnuk said many of the senior residents are night owls simply due to sleep issues related to aging, and after so many months of construction, sleep deprivation is becoming a problem.
They both were feeling the loss of their balconies, and were concerned they may not get to enjoy them for yet another summer, however, BC Housing said the exterior scaffolding and netting are expected to be completed this month, with residents then able to access their balconies and decks once again.
Both Prodnuk and Zemer said many in the building use walkers or wheelchairs and other mobility aids, or suffer from other illnesses, so navigating cluttered hallways is not an option.
Read more: Some Cariboo Sunset Manor residents frustrated after living in a construction zone since May 2022
Read more: Sunset Manor renos on time, says BC Housing spokesperson
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