'We will question every assumption': TCH head apologizes to displaced residents after Swansea ceiling collapse
The CEO of Toronto Community Housing is apologizing to residents who were displaced from their city-run housing complex after a ceiling there collapsed nearly two weeks ago.
“We regret the incident on May 27 and at the town hall meeting tonight I will apologize to the Swansea Mews community for the disruption they have experienced and the tension the incident has caused,” TCH President and CEO Jag Sharma said in a statement Tuesday evening.
He said the situation is “rapidly evolving” and that the corporation’s focus “continues to be protecting the safety of tenants.”
A female tenant was seriously injured after a concrete ceiling panel collapsed in a townhouse bedroom at the complex, located near Windermere Avenue and The Queensway.
TCH initially evacuated a section of the complex and said that tenants from other parts of the facility who felt unsafe could be moved to temporary accommodations as well. But the agency said Monday that all tenants at the complex have been informed that they will need to temporarily vacate their homes while further safety tests are conducted.
A report by a structural engineer found the reason for the collapse dates back to the building’s construction and that routine inspections would not have identified the problem. The report called for further testing to determine the extent of the issue.
Tenants are being accommodated at post-secondary school campuses in the city and at nearby hotels.
There were 113 occupied units at the complex at the time of the incident and at least 25 household have already been moved to temporary accommodations.
Mayor John Tory met with Sharma Monday and discussed the situation. His office called the incident "unacceptable" and said that the city would be working with TCH to ensure that residents are kept up-to-date about development.
Tory's office said the city is working through a backlog of repairs at TCH facilities, but said it will takes years to complete due to “decades of neglect.”
In his statement Tuesday, Sharma said that he plans to listen to residents at a community meeting Tuesday night in order to develop appropriate plans to accommodate them while testing is conducted.
“We will question every assumption and consider every option until we can get it right, so that Swansea Mews residents can live in the comfort and safety they deserve,” Sharma said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
BREAKING Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
Widespread theft costing Canada's retail industry dearly: experts
The Retail Council of Canada wants to put a stop to widespread theft within the retail industry, and industry leaders are meeting this week to find solutions.
Former South Dakota mayor charged with triple homicide
Three people were shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor is charged in the killings.
Debunking the 'anti-sunscreen' movement: Doctors say TikTok trend is dangerous
Dermatologists are sounding the alarm about misinformation from the anti-sunscreen movement, saying not wearing sunscreen can cause cancer and other problems.