Broken elevator leaves Steinbach residents ‘trapped’ in suites

Some tenants in an affordable housing building in Steinbach, Man., are having trouble accessing their suites because of a broken elevator.

Residents told CTV News the lift works one day and breaks the next, leaving some people stranded in the lobby or stuck in their apartments.

“There’s a lot of disabled people that live in this building that cannot physically walk down the stairs and they are trapped,” said tenant Jolene Erickson.

“It’s upsetting,” Erickson continued. “I mean, I try to do what I can, but it’s upsetting to see this continuously.”

Erickson and another tenant, Donna Enns-Kehler, said it’s been an issue for months. Last week, emergency crews were called to assist a woman with mobility issues after she was stuck in the lobby for five to six hours. when she unable to access her apartment because of mobility issues.

“It’s frustrating and I just feel really bad for my co-tenants,” Enns-Kehler said.

Building owner and operator Eden Health Care Services said the emergency response with the Steinbach Fire Department is part of its contingency plans if, or when, the elevator breaks down. CEO Brad Unger said it’s been out of service for the last two weeks – every time it’s fixed, it breaks down again.

So, Unger said Eden sought various options on how to fix the issue for good.

“It’s causing a lot of disruptions and we are feeling apologetic towards our tenants and residents in that building because it’s been really disruptive the last two weeks,” he said.

Unger added that a part needed to fix the elevator arrived in Winnipeg. He said he’s optimistic the lift could be up and running in short order.

“We think Monday at the latest,” he said. “We’re just trying to escalate this today or tomorrow and get this done ASAP.”

Unger also said more staff have been put on-site to help tenants cope with the elevator issues.