Housing found for most residents less than a week after Emerald Lodge was emptied

Less than a week after Emerald Lodge was emptied, the majority of people who had been living there have found a new place to stay, the city says.

The residential care facility was cleared out last Friday amid a rapidly deteriorating situation the city said was becoming increasingly "untenable and unsafe."

Paul Johnson, manager of healthy and safety communities for the city, said it wasn't an easy day.

"We provided no warning because we didn't have any warning for the residents," he said. "It was very disruptive for them and in some cases very anxiety filling."

Johnson said city staff spent last week trying to find a way to "stabilize" the lodge, following inspections that raised concerns about the state of the facility, staffing levels as well as inadequate infection and prevention controls.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, Johnson said the city was worried about the virus getting into the home and spreading.

A public health order related to a pest infestation in a food storage area and "numerous property standards, public health and fire concerns" were also mentioned by the city.

The lodge is owned and operated by a numbered company, with Stefanie Martino as its director, says the city.

As of May, corporate records also named Martino as the administrator of the Rosslyn Retirement Residence, which was evacuated following a COVID-19 outbreak that infected 64 residents and 22 staff members. Sixteen people died.

Emerald Lodge is currently in receivership. A notice is posted on its door, flanked by signs sharing information about COVID-19 and warning visitors were not allowed.

The receiver, Grant Thorton Ltd., terminated the operator of the lodge on Friday, the city says, which relocated residents at its request.

On the night they were evacuated, most residents were brought to the former Cathedral Boys School where they pulled on clean clothes, ate some food and quickly went to bed, said Johnson.

"They were tired and I think that's an indication of some of the anxiety they've been feeling in general, living at the Emerald," he explained.

"It was just nice for them to be in a safe place in a bed, with blankets, food, clean clothes, no bugs and the ability to get a good night's rest."

Several of the building's windows were boarded up Thursday, their screens torn and windows shattered.

A total of thirty-seven people are associated with the lodge, though Johnson said the paperwork was "pretty much nonexistent" so it's unclear if all of those residents were still living there or if some had moved out.

No residents have tested positive for COVID-19, he said.

Thirty people were moved out Friday, including three who made their own arrangements.

The other 27 people are working with the city to find homes.

"The really good news is housing plans are either in place or housing has been secured for 18 of those folks," said Johnson.

Two people are in hospital and seven others are still at the shelter or hotels as staff were search for housing.

"The goal here is to, as quickly as possible, find people the appropriate, permanent place for them to be," said Johnson.