Elgin Lodge Retirement Living is hoping to quickly repair their building after a flooding incident.
On March 20th, staff had found a flood in the basement of the facility, which houses the building’s mechanical equipment.
Although the cause of the flood is not confirmed, the home’s Sales and Marketing Director, Ann-Marie Collins, says that a burst pipe is the best guess.
The flooding immediately impacted essential services, affecting the building’s heating system, phone lines, internet, and cable services, as well as necessitating the shutdown of water and natural gas services.
Evacuation procedures were initiated to ensure the safety and well-being of residents, and by the afternoon, everybody was relocated to Port Elgin United Church. Some residents were sent to stay with family members nearby.
“Their well-being is our number one priority,” says Collins. “Now we’re figuring out how we’re going to move forward with this. We’re still trying to figure out where the water is coming from an how we can fix the problem.”
Residents were shuttled to various local hotels, where they continue to receive support from Elgin Lodge’s wellness staff.
Collins says that the community response has been overwhelming, with companies from around Bruce County and beyond helping with efforts.
“We are so grateful for the people here in Port Elgin, who have helped in so many different ways,” she says. “It has been an amazing community effort taking care of the residents and helping us get back on our feet.”
Collins says that residents are prepared to stay in their temporary accommodations for up to a few days as while repair crews locate the source of the flooding and remedy the situation.
