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A fire at the Wyndham Crossing apartment complex in northeast Edmonton on April 20 has displaced more than 200 people.
A month later, residents still don’t know if they’ll ever be able to return home or get their belongings back.
Kimberly Roe and Wendy Olson met seven months ago when they were each signing a lease for their apartments.
The neighbours were living rough for years and this was supposed to be the start of some stability.
“I was super excited because it was my first place, my own place in four years,” Roe said. “Then my daughter moved in shortly after.”
Olson said being displaced leaves you feeling lost.
“I am tired, I hardly sleep and I am so stressed,” Olson said.
The fire happened at the other end of the building from their units.
Management has told them there are asbestos concerns and they are not allowed back into the building to retrieve their belongings.
Olson said this is devastating, since she paid for storage while she was homeless to keep her stuff.
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She was also in the process of moving and most of her belongings were in boxes, and would likely be unaffected from contamination.
She has received an email that a restoration company can go through her things, but she wouldn’t be able to get them back.
“I am frustrated with the process we are going through here, and they are dragging us through it,” Olson said.
It’s echoed by Roe.
She said her daughter has sentimental items she would like to keep. Roe is also frustrated that her insurance would cover disposal of her items, but she won’t be able to get them back.
“We looked over by our balcony and nothing is touched. How do I know there is asbestos on my stuff?” Roe said.
Rob de Pruis of the Insurance Bureau of Canada said when it comes to how apartment buildings are handled, the building insurance and the tenant’s insurance adjusters will talk to each other to deal with contents.
“Tenant’s insurance covers the tenant’s personal contents and their additional living expense for if they have to move out because of a fire, so the removal of those contents would be part of the overall contents limit or the cleaning or remediation of the contents,” de Pruis said.
“If you have been evacuated, you do have coverage for additional living expenses. These are alternate accommodations, so hotels and meals. So, start an insurance claim right away.”
As for Roe and Olson, they don’t know what the next day brings. Roe has been bouncing to different hotels and Olson has been couch surfing.
They just hope they will be able to get their stuff back and find a stable living situation soon.
“It is very unfair,” Roe said.
“I just hope we can find another home.”
Global News reached out to Wyndham Crossing and its parent company, Weidner Apartments, for comment.
The company did not directly address any of the questions presented to it.
“We care about our residents and continue to prioritize the safety of all by following professional requirements regarding access to the building,” Weidner Apartments said in a statement.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
