Residents of a Balmoral Place apartment building in Brockville, Ont., say they have been trapped in their homes for nearly three months after the building’s only elevator was taken out of service, leaving many seniors and people with mobility challenges unable to leave their apartments.

The elevator has been out of service since May 7, after it was removed following a safety inspection. Property manager SIREG Management Incorporated says delays during the initial repair process led the company to hire a new contractor to complete the work.

For residents like Doreen Simpson, the outage has dramatically changed daily life.

“We don’t have any quality of life,” Simpson said. “When I moved in here, I thought I’d be here forever.”

Residents of the three-storey building say the elevator is their only practical means of accessing the outside. Many rely on walkers or have other mobility challenges that make using the stairs difficult or impossible.

“The reason we got in here was because of the elevator,” said resident Ruth Anne Keeler-Gogolin. “I could do my own laundry, I can get groceries. I have a walker, I can bring back a few groceries, and now you can’t do any of that.”

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Residents say the prolonged outage has caused some to miss medical appointments, routine checkups and other everyday activities many people take for granted.

“When you get older, sometimes you just get stuck and give up,” said Keeler-Gogolin. “Many days I sit here and think, ‘When is this going to be over?’”

Keeler-Gogolin said she has looked into moving to another apartment but found it financially out of reach.

“The cost of the rent for what I pay to what you’d pay for another would maybe be $2,000. Most of us can’t afford that,” she said.

Kristen Sturgeon, who supports residents through the VON SMILE program, said she has witnessed the challenges the outage has created.

“There was a resident in here whose mother was told to slide down the stairs on a piece of cardboard,” Sturgeon said.

In a statement to Global News, SIREG Management Inc. said, “Throughout the outage, our team has worked directly with affected residents and their families. Support offered has included permanent transfers to ground-floor units at the same rent, coverage of moving expenses, reimbursement of specialized medical transportation costs and daily on-site assistance with matters such as carrying groceries.”

Residents interviewed by Global News said they have not received that level of support. They say they are looking for clearer communication from the property manager and a firm timeline for when the elevator will be back in service.

SIREG said it regrets the impact the outage has had on residents and remains committed to completing the repairs as quickly and safely as possible.

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