Officials are expecting most of the residents of a Williams Lake housing complex will be able to return home Monday, Jan. 15, but five residents will still be unhoused.
The residents of Baker Manor on Carson Drive were forced out of their homes Friday, Jan. 12 due to a flood caused by sprinklers in the attic bursting during an extreme cold weather event that was being experienced across the province. In Williams Lake, temperatures dipped down below -30 C with a wind chill below - 40C. The flooding began at about 2:30 p.m. and
Baker Manor has 20 units, and some were directly impacted, while others had to be evacuated as power was cut for safety and temperatures in the building plummeted as night fell.
Building manager Wayne Lucier said once the city shut the water off, in order to restore power to the building, electricians had to dry much of the electrical room by hand to prepare it to restore power.
“It got so cold so fast we had ice on the wall in the boiler room,” recalled Lucier of the extreme conditions responders were dealing with.
Seven units were damaged in the flooding, which residents said led to water as much as five inches deep in the hallway in places and some water damage impacted hallways, storage and the electrical and mechanical rooms.
“If you would have seen this place Friday night you never would have believed we would be having people moving back in,” said Lucier, who said all those who helped were “angels” and have worked tirelessly to support residents and get the issue under control.
“It was amazing how everything fell into place,” said Lucier.
He said when the flood happened, his first call was to Dave Dickson, emergency support services with the city of Williams Lake, and then ran off a list of people and businesses who came to the residents’ aid, including the neighbouring pastor of the St. Peter’s Anglican church next door, which opened its doors to help keep the residents warm. Then the Williams Lake Fire Department came to help move the residents and their belongings to the Sandman Hotel, helping load residents, many of whom have mobility issues.
Three of the damaged units are still habitable, after being dried out, but four will need extensive repairs, leaving five residents without a place one the emergency service supports run out later this week to cover their hotel rooms. Lucier said they will start by putting the jobs out for bidding, but repairs could take some time.
Most of the impacted residents stayed at the Sandman temporarily, said Dickson.
“Wayne and Linda (Gorda, also a building manager) did an amazing job of taking care of everyone and getting them into the Anglican Church, next door, where there was tea and cookies and comfort food,” Dickson said.
“Some went to family and the rest went to the Sandman. The Sandman is so convenient because we can give them food in Denny’s and the ones that have mobility issues we take them food in their rooms.”
ESS team members living in town were able to come and help Dickson said.
“We were able to use the School District’s accessible bus. The transportation manager was out there within 20 minutes, the bus was warm, and the fire department came in and helped us move everyone too. It worked so well, considering it was so cold outside,” Dickson said. “It was great.”
Muraca said the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Change Readiness has been notified and is assisting the city’s emergency services.
Tenants were waiting to be allowed back in as Excel Fire and Water Restoration worked their way through each floor to okay residents returning to the building.
Tenant Jan Ramier said the tenants were very grateful for all the help and support Lucier and Gorda provided, and the emergency help from Pastor Joanne Hinter of St. Peter’s Anglican Church.
“The whole town really came together,” said Gorda.
Lucier is now hoping someone with accessible housing options will step forward to help the displaced residents.
One of the displaced residents is in a wheelchair and three others have limited mobility and may struggle with stairs.
Anyone with any potential affordable temporary housing for these residents can call Pelchat and Company which helps oversee the building, at 250-392-6548.
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