THUNDER BAY – Every day, residents at McIvor Court are living in terror and left feeling like they are prisoners in their own homes.
They say the issue is non-residents continuing to access their building.
“If you go look in the stairwell over there, there's graffiti all over the walls; other people said they find defecation, they find urine, a lot of drug paraphernalia and needles,” Jarrell Hoard told Newswatch.
Hoard was one of more than a dozen residents who gathered at the McIvor Court Rally for Safety on Friday.
He said he has lived at McIvor Count for the last seven years and the situation was “getting worse and worse.”
“They stole the clock in the common room. They stole a clock out here. They stole two phones that were plugged into the wall, so now we don't have a common phone. The microwave got stolen in the common room. The vending machines got broken into twice, so Twin City took them away. So, there are no vending machines,” said Hoard.
Hoard also mentioned a time when he was recovering at the hospital after his leg was amputated. He received a notification from the doorbell camera on his phone showing a woman breaking into his apartment.
“A woman walked out of my apartment with bags, so I came here immediately, and a friend of mine went in there, and sure enough, it was ransacked. But the woman had the nerve to come back and sleep in my bed,” said Hoard.
Five-year resident William Evans said that when he first moved into the apartment, things were a lot different.
“People were a lot friendlier amongst each other too and a lot more trusting. We used to have activities in the day room,” said Evans.
He stated that since the “drug dealers” have moved in, he has lost a lot of sleep.
He said that non-residents access the building through the locked emergency exits. The drug dealer will place a “doorman” in the stairwell to let non-residents into the building.
“He's gonna come run and check that door to let people in. This is a 24-hour thing. I can't sleep, can't relax, can't enjoy my home. People are edgier with each other because they're all on edge, scared to leave their homes,” said Evans.
Speaking with another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, he told Newswatch one night, he went to use the laundry facilities only to find two women completely naked using the sink to bathe.
“It was like they didn’t care,” he said.
He said he would constantly clean fecal matter found in his hallway with bleach and a mop.
“The staff told me I shouldn't do that because it could be hazardous, but this is my home,” he said.
Many residents at the rally reiterated that same phrase, “this is my home.”
A 14-year resident by the name of Paul said the building needs 24-hour security.
Currently, McIvor Court has two security guards walking the building from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., but Paul said that is not enough.
“Everybody knows after 9 o'clock in the morning, it's a free-for-all in here it's like a circus. We need security 24/7. We brought that up, and they keep telling us, basically, it's not in the budget. Well, you know what, when your lives depend on it, the way we're living here, it should be put in a goddamn budget,” said Paul.
Organizer of the rally, Tracey MacKinnon, is calling on the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board (THDSSAB) to act.
“Thunder Bay had their first murder here and another incident last week. This seems to be an ongoing issue, and it's not getting better; it's getting worse. The fear is that one of us is gonna be next,” said MacKinnon.
She said the DSSAB building needs more wrap-around support, social work, and medical professionals with mental health training.
However, she said her efforts have fallen on deaf ears.
“I sent the DSSAB emails. I sent the Thunder Bay police board an email. I did request to make a delegation to city council, which was denied, and the response back was that it's a DSSAB and a police issue,” said MacKinnon.
DSSAB chief executive officer Ken Ranta told Newswatch the organization is fully aware of the situation residents at McIvor Court are facing.
However, the solution to the problem is far more complex.
For those non-residents being let into the building, Ranta said those people are considered the guests of the tenant they are there to see.
“They can't be evicted. They can't be taken out forcibly by police or by our staff. Our staff don't have the legal means to do that. If a tenant lets an individual in, they become the guest of that tenant. They're also the responsibility of that tenant should something go sideways, and that's where we have some legal recourse,” he said.
Ranta said that eviction is also a challenge. If the DSSAB deems a tenant to be in “breach of (DSSAB) terms and conditions,” they will bring it to the Landlord and Tenant Board.
“The action goes through a legal process, and that involves again legislation, regulations, the government, we do our best, but it's never quick enough for a quick solution,” said Ranta.
He stated it’s the same with police activity.
If there is criminal activity, the police will take action, but if they are “released by police, they have the right to go back to their home. That creates more angst and concern for everyone else in the property who did have concerns about the individual,” said Ranta.
As for extra security during the day, Ranta said McIvor Court staff are the “eyes on the property.”
“They're excellent working with the tenants and relaying information and getting information from them,” said Ranta.
“We have staff there that if somebody does come in the building, they can be made aware we can call police if there's a trespass situation. If someone's not supposed to be in, we can ask for police support to have them removed if they're invited in as a guest and they're able to go.
“We would always encourage all of our tenants to don't let individuals into the building."
