Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

CHERRY AVENUE FIRE

Emergency Management BC extends assistance for Cherry Avenue residents; some feel they may never return

Jan 28, 2021 | 4:47 PM

KAMLOOPS — Gwen Davis has been out of her home for the last 10 days after a fire damaged several units on Cherry Avenue.

“It’s surreal, actually,” said Davis, who has been staying in a hotel since the Jan. 19 morning fire. “I can’t even describe it. It’s impacted us a lot.”

Fire investigators have now determined smoking materials in one unit caused the fire to ignite, causing light fire damage to one and smoke damage to another. At the time of the fire, the building was deemed uninhabitable and many were left without a home.

The tenants on Cherry Avenue have not returned and residents like Davis feel like they may never return. Davis’ unit was not damaged, but she is waiting for gas and hydro to be hooked up again. She feels the property management company Rockwood North is trying to push out lower-income tenants in favour of international students to garner more rent money.

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“I got the impression when I spoke with [property manager and part-owner] Gilles Ladouceur yesterday that we wouldn’t be able to move back into the building, where other tenants had posted on Facebook that they had spoke with him and he had promised them their units back in the future. He had promised to help them out with subsidy in the meantime,” said Davis.

The property management company did not call back in time for an interview with CFJC Today. Meantime, Davis’ hotel stay was scheduled to end on Friday, but the city, in partnership with Emergency Management BC, are extending stays for another week.

As they continue to sort through housing for themselves, we’re able to keep them in accommodations until next Friday,” said the city’s social and community developement supervisor Ty Helgason.

Helgason says agencies like ASK Wellness have stepped up to help tenants find more permanent places to live. Davis has been looking at other rental properties similar to her $900-a-month rent, but few affordable places have come up.

“I’ve been looking online. We’re going to a couple outreach agencies to see if they have any networks, but we’re not really getting any clear answers from anybody,” she said.

Davis, who has lived at her place for seven years, would love to stay there, but doesn’t feel too hopeful.