Manitoba Housing residents handed post-Christmas eviction notices

Residents of a Manitoba Housing complex learned just after Christmas that they will have to move out for renovations — which means leaving the town of Minnedosa, Man.

The "tight-knit" community that lives in Townview Manor was given four choices of new residences when they were told they'd have to leave their homes, but none are in Minnedosa, said Marie Anne Saler, one of the residents.

Saler, 70, has lived for nearly four years at Townview Manor in Minnedosa, a town of about 2,500 people located 200 kilometres west of Winnipeg. She was notified last week that she and the other residents of the six-storey building — most of them over 65, Saler said — have to move due to a change in renovation plans. There are 27 people affected, Manitoba Housing said.

What are they talking about? Why are they doing this to us during the holiday break?- Marie Anne Saler, Townview Manor resident

"Just... shock... What are they talking about? Why are they doing this to us during the holiday break?" Saler said of her thoughts when she first heard. "We had no indication of it at all before, that they were going to shut the manor down totally."

The original plan involved moving residents to vacant suites while renovations took place, Saler said. The building is now down to half-occupancy and suites weren't filled as others moved out, she said, which she believes was part of the plan.  

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Townview Manor's residents are mainly 65 and older, Saler said. The oldest resident turned 103 on Monday. While Saler has a car, most of the residents don't own vehicles, Saler's daughter said.

The options for new housing include Neepawa, 27 kilometres east of Minnedosa, or Erickson, 29 kilometres north, but no places in town, much to the disappointment of many residents who want to stay in the community, Saler said.

"The day that they had told us [the building was closing], they had four options [for places to move]," Saler said. "Minnedosa isn't on it at all. So with their assistance of transferring, we're to write down three places we would like to move to.…

"The general population would like to move into Minnedosa, but apparently nothing is available [in town]."

They have been given until May 31 to move and Manitoba Housing has offered to cover up to $500 of moving expenses for tenants, she said. They have also been given first chance to apply for suites in Townview Manor once renovations are complete.    

We're more of a community within the town itself. Everybody is concerned- Marie Anne Saler 

Saler isn't quite sure what she'll do at the end of May, but she thinks finding a place in Brandon, 45 kilometres south of Minnedosa, is her best option due to an upcoming operation on her knee.

"[It's] really sad," Saler said. "We're more of a community within the town itself. Everybody is concerned of everybody else... It's really tight-knit."

Work more complex than initially thought

Saler said she didn't understand why she and others were being forced to move out of the building when residents in other housing complexes in Westman were allowed to stay when similar renovation projects were done. 

Manitoba Housing said the work in Minnedosa is more complex than initially thought.

"There have been changes to the scope of the work and more complexities to the requirements," according to Gord Thomas, an executive director with Manitoba Housing. "Keeping people in the building will be problematic for the construction and disruptive for people left there with the systems [like water and electrical] shut down for extended periods of time."

Thomas said the work could be done with residents in the building, but was not an ideal scenario in the end. 

"The interior walls will have to be opened up to allow access to electrical and plumbing," he added. 

Thomas didn't have specifics on hand, but said any asbestos remaining in the building would also have to be taken care of. Work which is best done without tenants in the building, he said.

The nearly $7-million renovation will include the complete demolition of 56 units to convert studio suites to 42 new one-bedroom units.

The project is also slated to include upgrades to kitchen cabinets and washrooms, replacement of main and branch sanitary plumbing lines and other upgrades. 

Thomas said the work will hopefully get underway in June 2016 with construction set to last 16 months, meaning the work should be done by the end of 2017. 

"We're doing everything we can to make this as painless as possible for the residents," he said. "We understand that it's disruptive but we'll look after them the best we can."