Calgary senior stuck at home due to broken elevator, misses death of loved one
It was just six months ago when an excited Hilda Reimer signed the papers for a condo unit at Chinook Manor.
'I thought, 'This will be my last home'… I actually lived here 40 years ago when they were rentals.'
Unfortunately, Reimer broke her pelvis during the winter move.
Since then, she's been recovering and waiting for warmer weather to finally enjoy her new home to the fullest.
'I have a scooter to go longer distances, I was looking forward to all that. But here we are, stuck in our homes.'
Just days after her 82nd birthday, Reimer says the building's lone elevator stopped working.
She hoped it would be fixed after the May long weekend, but now it's been three weeks — and she's been trapped inside ever since.
Story continues below advertisement
'We're prisoners in my home. It's quite the barrier — and it's not impacting me, it's impacting many people in this building.'
Tweet This
Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're prisoners in my home. It's quite the barrier — and it's not impacting me, it's impacting many people in this building."
Throughout this turbulent period, Reimer's missed important medical appointments. Her recovery has slowed, as have the visits.
'Friends of mine can't come over, and I can't go over to see them. Some of them are older and can't do stairs,' Reimer laughed.
'We're a bunch of old farts.'
Tweet This
Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're a bunch of old farts."
There's one moment Reimer missed out on that she'll never get back.
'My former husband passed away in hospice just recently,' she said.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'I couldn't go to see him and he was asking for me.
'I will always regret that I couldn't go and visit him.'
Tweet This
Click to share quote on Twitter: "I will always regret that I couldn't go and visit him."
Reimer's son, Darren Delorme, has been working through that grief alongside his mother.
'That put a lot of stress on myself, my mom, my dad… because she couldn't go see him in hospice.'
He's spent much of the past three weeks lending a hand to his mother and others.
'I've come to help her do laundry, the facility is in the basement… Somebody had a big suitcase, I helped her carry it up — she was just grunting trying to carry her luggage and I carried that up to the fifth floor. I encountered someone bringing groceries in that I helped with… it's just not fair.'
Story continues below advertisement
'I don't know what I would have done without, him really,' Reimer explains.
She says there's still no word on when the missing part needed to fix the elevator may arrive.
Most affected people believe the building's owners are doing everything they can to fix the problem — but also think it could have been avoided altogether.
'This problem could have been taken care of had (the condo board) had the part ready.'
'They'd been recommended to upgrade parts but they chose not to, and here we are.'
Tweet This
Click to share quote on Twitter: "They'd been recommended to upgrade parts but they chose not to, and here we are."
Global News reached out to Diversified Property Management, which looks after Chinook Manor.
When asked directly if the group is expediting the repairs as quickly as possible, representatives declined to comment.
The home is advertised as a 40+ community.
While not a senior's home by definition, Delorme says many of his mom's neighbours are older and face similar challenges.
'It stands to reason there's going to be a higher population of seniors living here with that criteria.'
'I would suggest to the (condo board president) to do a survey of this whole building and see who would have purchased a unit. If it was a five-storey walkup, I can probably tell you… nobody.'
Story continues below advertisement
It's not an uncommon issue for seniors to run into, according to a local advocate.
'We certainly work with partners who have brand new, beautiful buildings,' explained Larry Mathieson, president & CEO of Unison Alberta.
'But there are a lot of buildings in the province where they're older… been around for decades. (Owners) are constantly attending to things that might present a safety or mobility issue.'
It's something Unison witnessed first hand just a few years ago.
'At our (Elder Abuse Shelter), we had to completely rebuild the elevator — not just because there was problems with it, but replacement issues. (Repairing elevators) is a fairly specialized trade,' Mathieson said.
'Elevators like this that are fairly deep into their life cycle… very quickly parts can become obsolete.'
Tweet This
Click to share quote on Twitter: "Elevators like this that are fairly deep into their life cycle… very quickly parts can become obsolete."
Mathieson says his group and others can offer resources to seniors who find themselves in situations like this and haven't been able to get a resolution with their housing provider.
Reimer's only been able to take in the warm summer air through her third-floor balcony, but she's hoping that all changes for the better, soon.
'It's a comfortable home, but c'mon — you've got a life to live and when you're older, you gotta live it… because you don't know how long you've got.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
16 hours ago
- Global News
4 missing after Airmedic helicopter crash in northeastern Quebec: police
Quebec provincial police launched a search operation Saturday after a helicopter crash in northeastern Quebec that left four people unaccounted for. They said the aircraft operated by Airmedic was involved in an accident around 10:30 p.m. on Friday near Natashquan, Que., a little more than 1,000 kilometres northeast of Montreal. Police planned to comb a wooded area in the region north of the community in the province's Côte-Nord region. Sgt. Élizabeth Marquis-Guy said five people were aboard the chopper, but one man was rescued and reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken to hospital. The four others remained missing on Saturday morning. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Raphaele Bourgault, a spokesperson from the Longueuil, Que.-based air medical transport firm, confirmed the helicopter was part of the company fleet and said emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene. Story continues below advertisement 'Airmedic staff are working closely with authorities and first responders to manage the situation and provide the necessary assistance,' Bourgault said in an emailed statement. 'Airmedic will release further information as soon as it is confirmed.' Bourgault said the company's thoughts and concerns are with those affected by the crash. Airmedic specializes in air medical transport and operates both planes and helicopters as part of its fleet. It is a private company that offers its services across Canada. A command post was set up and search specialists are on site and are capable of searching on the water as well as by ground and in the air. The Canadian Armed Forces have also been called for assistance, police said. Provincial police say the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been informed of the crash and will conduct an investigation to determine the circumstances behind it. A TSB spokesman said the helicopter was in the process of a medical evacuation and crashed into a lake shortly after takeoff. 'The TSB is in contact with the operator and others involved and is collecting information,' spokesman Nic Defalco said in an emailed response. Story continues below advertisement Police investigators will collaborate in the TSB probe, Marquis-Guy said.
Global News
17 hours ago
- Global News
Hot air balloon in Brazil catches fire and falls, killing 8 and injuring 13
A hot air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil 's southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said. Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon in flames as it hurtled toward the ground in the municipality of Praia Grande. On a video on social media, two people can be seen falling through the air as the fire spread onboard the aircraft. Three people died hugging each other, said Ulisses Gabriel, chief of Santa Catarina's civil police force, on X. 'It hurts the soul.' Thirteen people survived and were taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said, adding that 21 people were on board including the pilot. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We are in mourning. A tragedy has happened. We will see how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened. But the important thing now is for the state structure to do what it can,' Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. Story continues below advertisement Mello said he has asked authorities to head to the municipality 'to do as much as possible to rescue, to help, to take to hospital, to comfort the families.' 'According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket and then he began to lower the balloon. When the balloon was very close to the ground, he ordered people to jump out of the basket,' Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper quoted Praia Grande head police officer Tiago Luiz Lemos as saying. 'Some of them didn't manage to jump. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling,' Lemos added. G1 reported that the balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 1000 meters, and cost 550 reais (around C$137) per passenger. Praia Grande is a common destination for hot air ballooning, a popular activity in some parts of Brazil's south during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as St. John, whose feast day is on June 24. Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Fredericton's assistant deputy fire chief reflects on 35-year career
David McKinley was 25 years old when he first joined the Fredericton Fire Department in 1990. Now, as he gets set to enter retirement, the assistant deputy chief is reflecting on his 35-year career with the department. Over the decades, he's responded to fires, ice rescues and medical calls. In 2013, he became the assistant deputy chief. It's not a job he took lightly. 'There's a lot of responsibility,' said McKinley. 'The weight of the department is on our shoulders, so it's important that we keep moving forward.' This year, McKinley received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his service. And he leaves his legacy with dozens of members who weren't even born when he began. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I have this little saying, work hard, keep your nose clean, stay out of trouble,' he said. Story continues below advertisement It's a legacy fire Chief Dwayne Killingbeck noted at McKinley's retirement reception. 'He leaves [the department] improved down to its very foundation, and he's now entrusting us to carry it on his behalf, and we cannot let him down,' Killingbeck said. Meanwhile, McKinley isn't finished with the Fredericton Fire Department yet — he's turning his gaze to a book chronicling the department's history. He said it will include everything from early equipment to the volunteers and firefighters who kept Fredericton safe over the years. 'It's important to me where we came from and some of the struggles that our firefighters ahead of us had to go through because they worked hard,' he said. And, he has a much more immediate plan, too. 'The first thing I'm going to do is sleep in,' he said. For more on this story, watch the video above.
