Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

ONCE AGAIN, IT’S STAIRS ONLY – Residents of Closeleigh Manor are again making do without elevator service. The current breakdown follows a prolonged failure between Dec. 13, 2017 and Jan. 4 of this year, Yukon Housing Corp. records show.

Senior injured on stairs after elevator fails

A broken elevator at Closeleigh Manor has resulted in an 83-year-old woman breaking her ankle while climbing the stairs to her third-storey apartment.

By Chuck Tobin on March 20, 2018

A broken elevator at Closeleigh Manor has resulted in an 83-year-old woman breaking her ankle while climbing the stairs to her third-storey apartment.

She will have to remain in the acute care unit at Whitehorse General Hospital until repairs are made at the Front Street apartment building for seniors, NDP Leader Liz Hanson told the legislature Monday.

“The ambulance attendants were required to carry the individual down the stairs from the third floor,” Hanson said.

“This is not the first time they have had to do this. In fact, this was the fourth recent event requiring EMR staff to carry a resident down from the third or second floor in that one building.

“I don’t need to point out how dangerous this is for the individual or for the staff.”

Hanson said there are also elevator issues at the Waterfront seniors’ complex – and the building is only five years old.

Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn and Pauline Frost, the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp., took turns Monday responding to the NDP leader’s questions and concerns.

Both assured Hanson they recognize the hardship the broken elevator causes for seniors and the urgency required to get the repairs made.

Mostyn told the legislature it’s not easy getting technicians from down south to do the work. It’s not easy to get technicians for repairs in Vancouver, he said.

“Certainly, there is no way that this government wants our seniors walking up and down steps when they should be taking an elevator,” Mostyn said.

“I can assure the member that we will do our utmost to get that elevator fixed as quickly as possible, recognizing how difficult it can be to get proper elevator maintenance staff to Whitehorse.”

Family members of residents at Closeleigh have told the Star the elevator there breaks down frequently – for days at a time.

But Darren Stahl, the housing corporation’s director of maintenance, said this morning his records show this is the second time in the last year the 30-year-old Closeleigh elevator has broken down. The first time, it was down from Dec. 13 to Jan. 4, he said.

Stahl said the elevator stopped working March 8, and it appears it’s the same problem.

A repair team from Vancouver is on site today, and the elevator is expected to be operational by the end of the week, he said.

The director of maintenance said officials requested the team March 8, and an engineer is accompanying the technicians this time.

All elevators in Yukon Housing Corp. buildings are inspected monthly, he pointed out.

Stahl said Yukon Housing is looking at replacing the elevator at Closeleigh Manor as well as the 40-year-old lift at Greenwood Manor for seniors.

Replacing the Closeleigh elevator would take three months, he said.

“That is another component we have to look at,” Stahl said.

“But we are definitely exploring the plan and the correct timing of how to do that. They are both under consideration for replacement.”

While the elevator is down, he explained, Yukon Housing is providing a security guard around the clock for residents who might require assistance going up and down the stairs or help carrying groceries and such.

Frost told the legislature Yukon Housing is also looking at alternate policies to provide seniors with mobility issues the option of moving into ground-floor apartments.

Comments (13)

Up 0 Down 0

Politico on Mar 26, 2018 at 2:34 pm

@Hugh Mungus According to Pansy & Les Allen, residents of the building, the elevator breaks more than that! I have no idea why the Thyssen Krupp rep won't work on it, I haven't talked to him, have you? Elevators are like cars I would venture to say, learn to work on one brand and you can figure out the others. The question still is, why was a brand put in that no one locally can service. Either train someone locally to do the job or put in one that can be serviced locally.

Up 1 Down 0

Bill on Mar 23, 2018 at 7:25 pm

Why don't they put in stair lifts on each floor for those that cannot walk down or up the stairs? This is a cheaper and to be only when the elevator is down.

Up 0 Down 1

Hugh Mungus on Mar 23, 2018 at 4:19 pm

@ Politico

The article says the elevator broke down twice. TWICE.

If there was enough work, someone would certify to work on that and make money but the market says there isn't and the market doesn't lie.

Even the local Thyssen Krupp rep that works on other elevators in town (among other things) won't work on that unit. Why do you suppose that is?

Up 3 Down 0

Groucho d'North on Mar 22, 2018 at 7:05 pm

I am wondering how influential erratic and fluctuating electrical supply may have on the community's elevator control systems? Power failures, current that is not always 60 Hz, brown outs and similar disturbances take a toll on electronics, I'd be interested in knowing what the common elevator failure involves: What caused it and what was the fix?

Up 1 Down 0

Politico on Mar 22, 2018 at 12:41 pm

@Hugh Mungus From the sounds of it the elevator breaks down regularly. Many business people make a living repairing one off equipment around town. Look at the NCR cash machines, they are all different but only one contractor repairs them. As for needing hundred to make training or repair profitable, bullocks!

Up 0 Down 1

Hugh Mungus on Mar 22, 2018 at 9:24 am

@ Politico

The thing is, what businessperson in their right mind is going to invest in training and specialized tools to fix an elevator that breaks down once a year?

For that to be profitable, you'd need dozens if not hundreds of the same manufacturers of elevators in the city.

Up 0 Down 0

elevating problems. on Mar 21, 2018 at 1:21 pm

Politico, I'll go out on a limb and say that the elevator in that building is not the same brand as 90% of other elevators in our little town, cough, thyssenkrupp ,cough, hence someone certified in working on that brand needs to be flown in. Oh and if the Whitehorse star wants an interesting story, they should see the gravy train that is thyssenkrupp servicing and certifying (annually). Literally thousand dollars an hour. Enjoy.

Up 4 Down 1

Jonathan Colby on Mar 21, 2018 at 1:06 am

There is more than enough work for the local crew. That's half the problem right there. What do you know, Wilf? Always an expert, eh?

Up 5 Down 0

Politico on Mar 20, 2018 at 5:36 pm

@Not enough. Two business's in town that do elevator repairs. These are electromechanical devices, not rocket science. Why send work outside when someone could be trained to do it here, even part time?

Up 0 Down 2

Here we go... on Mar 20, 2018 at 4:35 pm

.....with the comments.
Wilf, nice to see you back.
Ok, first question, who does Yukon Housing have their service contract with? There is one elevator service company in the Yukon. Low bidder gets the service contract. Might not be TK.
You have to be be LICENSED here to be an elevator service company, so not just anyone can do it.
And it's a stretch to say the senior broke her ankle because of the elevator being down. Sadly, seniors fall and brake bones.
Mechanical things fail. It happens. Old mechanical things fail more often.
Leave it to Liz to jump on the hysterical bandwagon.

Up 2 Down 2

Not enough business in the Yukon to keep a full time on Mar 20, 2018 at 3:35 pm

Person employed.
POlitico what do you understand?

Up 6 Down 0

Pansy & Les Allen on Mar 20, 2018 at 3:15 pm

We live on the third floor and can attest the elevator has been broken down more than twice. There were numerous break downs last year and seniors were even stuck in them until help arrived. One lady three times!

Up 3 Down 0

Politico on Mar 20, 2018 at 2:32 pm

The real question is why would you put an elevator in the requires someone from Vancouver to fix it? No one in Whitehorse competent to do the work?

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