'The city is responsible': Homeowners demand city foot the bill after construction project filled homes with grout
Some Seven Oaks-area residents are voicing frustrations with the City of Winnipeg’s slow response to property and street damages caused by sewer line repairs that happened almost two months ago.
In late May, work on a new land drainage sewer shaft at Semple Avenue and Scotia Street, completed by a City-hired contractor, caused a breach in the combined sewer shaft. This breach ended up pumping grout – a cement mixture – into several nearby homes.
“We’re waiting, waiting on our insurance when we feel the City’s insurance should be involved,” said Kaitlin Bialek, whose Semple Avenue home was filled with cement.
“The City should be saying, ‘yeah, we’re going to cover this, like, don’t worry about it.”
Bialek said the damage to her home is extensive, with repair estimates in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Cement is seen filling up Kaitlin Bialek's basement after a leak which impacted around a dozen houses on May 29, 2021. (Source: Kaitlin Bialek)
Cement is seen filling up Kaitlin Bialek's basement after a leak which impacted around a dozen houses on May 29, 2021. (Source: Kaitlin Bialek)
She said the city hasn’t been very responsive and she’s received no definitive answer, as of yet, as to whether or not the city will help in covering the repair costs.
“We can’t afford to have a hundred thousand dollars or fifty thousand dollars or whatever it ends up being,” she said, “We don’t have the money to just fix this problem that the city created.”
George Munroe’s home, right next to Bialek’s, was also impacted by the sewer shaft breach.
Munroe said his weeping tiles were filled with cement and the city left the street, marred by large spots of unearthed asphalt, in a state of disrepair.
“The city is responsible for these damages,” said Munroe. “Why should we, as homeowners, use our insurance company to pay for the damages?”
If the city doesn’t respond to requests to pay for repairs, Munroe said he’s considering taking legal action.
“If they’re not going to come to the plate and do the right thing, well, then we’ll see them in court,” said Munroe.
Semple Avenue and Scotia Street in Winnipeg have been left in a state of disrepair after work on a new land drainage sewer shaft in May 2021 filled homes with a cement mixture. (Source: Michael D'Alimonte/ CTV News Winnipeg)
Semple Avenue and Scotia Street in Winnipeg have been left in a state of disrepair after work on a new land drainage sewer shaft in May 2021 filled homes with a cement mixture. (Source: Michael D'Alimonte/ CTV News Winnipeg)
Area councillor Ross Eadie said the city purchased liability insurance for the original sewer repairs and all damages should be covered.
But it’s going to take some time.
“The travesty is, these are residents,” said Eadie. “The City of Winnipeg taxpayers are victims here.”
“But this whole risk management and insurance stuff, the way it works, it’s not a pretty process.”
Eadie added the repairs to homes and the street itself will take months to finish.
And time is certainly on Bialek’s mind.
“If the city doesn’t rectify this soon and we go through the winter with this, in the spring we’re going to have a pool in our basement,” said Bialek.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreak spreads, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial has fined him US$1,000 for violating his gag order and sternly warned the former president that additional violation could result in jail time.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.