There was relief – and tears – in Whitley, Ont., As residents displaced by last summer’s blast were allowed to return home on Wednesday and reunite with neighbors.
Residents are unable to live on their properties since the August blast, and some have a long way to go before they can return.
Becky and Bugsy Lamb regained access to their property to find about 61 inches of sewage and water flooding their basement. The mold has seeped in and covered everything in the house.
They have a sewage pump in their basement, but without hydro and rainwater, it just filled up, the couple said.
“It’s bitter today … we knew what we were up to,” Becky said. “We already know we have a lot of problems, but you know what? We went home, we came back, our neighbors stopped us.”
The Lamb’s Home is one of several that property restorer Jeff Medeiros expects to work with in the community.
Some are not so bad, but others are like the Lambs, Medeiros said.
“I’ve been in the industry for about 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Bugsy and Becky Lamb’s home in Whitley, Ont., Is uninhabited due to sewer problems and mold, months after an explosion rocked downtown. (Jacob Barker / CBC)
As their house is currently uninhabited, the Lambs have to wait for their insurance to decide whether it should be gutted and repaired or completely demolished. The couple would like a new beginning, with the ruined house.
“We know what we prefer because we smelled it, we were in it, but it depends on them,” Becky said.
WATCH Property restorer Jeff Medeiros says the damage to Whitley’s home is among the worst he has seen:
Sewer in the basement, the Whitley couple is dealing with a mess
Jeff Medeiros removes 61 centimeters of sewage from a basement in Whitley, Ont. This is the worst he has ever seen in his 20 years in the industry. 1:02
Nearly 100 households and dozens of businesses were displaced after the blast shook downtown Whitley on August 26, 2021. Since then, crews have been investigating the source of the blast.
Over the weekend, the municipality of Chatham-Kent announced that it would reduce the size of the evacuation zone around the site of the explosion, allowing 34 households and six businesses to return.
On Wednesday, crews were outside, removing a fence that blocks people from entering or leaving the evacuation area.
Joe and Raja Gruber moved into their home in Whitley just weeks before the explosion last August. (Jacob Barker / CBC)
Working on the other side of the street, in the home of the Lambs’ neighbors, is much less daunting.
Joe Gruber said returning home and reuniting with his neighbors was an overwhelming feeling.
“Seeing you next to our houses is kind of surreal right now, to be honest.”
Joe and his wife, Raja, said their home just needed good cleaning, but they would not be allowed to return for now. They still have utilities to connect, which can take several weeks before they are allowed to occupy the house.
Reija said he hoped to return by the end of the month.
The couple bought their house just three weeks before the blast. As their new beginning in a new neighborhood is stopped, they are eager to return to it.
“We’re not done unpacking yet, to be honest,” Joe said.
While some families have received good news, others have not been able to return home – they are still in the evacuation zone and living in obscurity.
Margaret Wall lived close enough to the blast to allow the wreckage to end up in her yard. She said her house was also full of mold.
She now lives in a villa, but will have to move again at the end of the month.
“It would be great to be able to start work on our house and come back, but … we don’t know how long it will take.”
Chatham-Kent municipality said it was still providing temporary accommodation assistance to those still displaced. He also said he would try to provide limited access to residents’ homes if necessary when considered safe.
Add Comment