More than 100 seniors have been given eviction notices as their homes in a complex north of Toronto are scheduled to be bulldozed to create a new condo.
The Heritage Village complex in Markham, Ont., which is part of the Unionville Home Society, was sold to regional municipality of York. The municipality later teamed up with Canadian developer Minto Group to build a new seniors' condo on the property.
The sale means that the 110 seniors who currently live in the quiet complex will be out of a home by 2016.
Some of the seniors are over the age of 90, and have lived in the complex for decades.
"The thought of having to go is devastating," one resident told CTV Toronto on Thursday. "These are my sisters. We do everything together."
According to the Village's tenants’ association chair, many of the residents learned of the news during a Canada Day tea-and-cake gathering.
"After the cake was served, then the CEO told us that our homes will be gone and we would be displaced," Jeannine Harpell said.
The residents have been promised help with finding a new home and they've also been guaranteed units in the new building. But many are still devastated by the news.
"They have no idea where they are going to live," Harpell said.
She says instead of evicting the residents, they should be able to stay until the new condo is move-in ready.
"If in fact they are building another building here on the campus, build it first, move the seniors in and then demolish these residences."
According to the Unionville Home Society, many of the units in the complex require updating and have become too expensive to maintain.
The residents are expected to move out no later than Dec. 31, 2016.
In the meantime, many of the seniors have been given a transition package. They are also fighting the eviction notice. A meeting was scheduled at the complex's community centre for Thursday afternoon. A member of York Region was expected to attend.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Zuraidah Alman
