Residents displaced by a highrise fire on Parliament Street last month will have to wait until the new year before returning to their homes.
Property managers sent tenants a notice on Wednesday saying that the move-in dates were delayed to “early 2019.”
“After beginning restoration work and conducting extensive testing, we have learned that you will likely not be able to move back into your apartment until sometime early in the new year,” the notice said.
Property management also noted that the response office has been “enhanced” with a call centre and additional resources to help tenants find temporary accommodations.
More than 1,500 residents of 650 Parliament Street were forced out of their homes after an electrical box in the basement of the building caught fire on Aug. 21.
Residents living in the north tower of the building were told they may be able to return to their homes by Thanksgiving. Those living in the south tower were given an estimated four to six months until they would be allowed to move back in.
At the time, the property managers said these dates were “soft targets.”
Residents were housed temporarily at two community centers in the area. Most found other accommodations or were moved into hotels and Airbnb units.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday afternoon, Toronto Mayor John Tory said there were still about 100 people who were staying at the Regent Park Community Centre, which is scheduled to reopen its programming on Oct. 1.
“I will say though that the landlord has been doing better at stepping up to take on its responsibilities such as they are,” Tory said. “It is not a perfect arrangement to have people in hotel rooms for example, but I think they have been doing their best to put people in hotel rooms so they are not in community centres and making sure, wherever possible, they find apartments for people.”
The cause of the fire was determined to be a major failure in the building’s electrical distribution system. Back in August, the property manager said it could take a minimum of 16 weeks to order the custom components needed to repair the system.
Two Toronto law firms have said they will pursue a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the displaced residents who, according to lawyers, could be entitled to compensation for the loss of their homes, property damage, and cost of obtaining new accommodations.
Lawyers from Strosberg Sasso Sutts LLP and Charney Lawyers PC have organized a town hall meeting on Sept. 11 where residents can learn more about the potential lawsuit.
