Dozens of seniors in West Edmonton have been displaced, following flooding at Villa Marguerite assisted living facility.
Forty-three seniors had to leave their basement units after they say rainwater came rushing through the windows Friday evening.
As a result, many of them have been sleeping on mattresses on the floor in the building’s chapel and recreation areas.
The majority of residents have mobility issues and residents tell Global News they’re struggling to get in and out of bed, and have to wait in lines to use the few available washrooms.
Shannon Jackson said she’s been having a difficult time sleeping with the new communal living arrangements.
“I got really grumpy and then I started crying and that’s not right. You know, I don’t pay $2,700 to cry,” she said, referring to the rent she pays monthly.
David Burbridge has also been displaced. His room had more water in it than Jackson’s.
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“In my room there was at least 10 inches of water throughout the whole room so all my furnishings are pretty much garbage,” he explained.
Becky Marlatt, the VP of operations for Park Place Seniors Living, which operates Villa Marguerite, said in a statement,”Residents who remain at Villa Marguerite continue to receive care, support, and supervision from our dedicated team while individualized relocation plans are finalized.
“Every transfer is being coordinated based on each resident’s care needs and the availability of appropriate accommodations to help ensure a safe and smooth transition.”
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Her statement went on to say, “As part of the emergency response, temporary arrangements were implemented for a limited period to ensure residents remained safe and supported while relocation efforts were underway.
“While these measures were intended as a short-term solution during an evolving emergency situation, we recognize this has been a difficult and stressful experience for residents and their families.”
Assisted Living Alberta oversees Villa Marguerite and told Global News , “Beds have been delivered for temporary accommodations… Plans are underway to find more comfortable and private temporary accommodations for residents. Timelines for restoration and repairs are still being determined.”
Their statement continued, “The site is taking precautionary measures to prepare for further forecasted rainfall and mitigate the risk of further impacts to the site and residents.”
For more information, watch the video above.
This is only part of the flooding, they should have fully fixed the flooding properly in the past, my room has flood multiple times but never this bad. One of the dining halls has had a bad flood, we ate with 15 buckets around us while the nursing staff frantically tried to keep things under control, lights were flickering as water ran out of them, the roof leaked last year and never fixed properly so this year was even worse and will continue to get worse unless they actually fix everything properly.