A history of Alberta condo evacuations: Owners of Castledowns Pointe aren't alone
CBC
Ordered to pack a bag and leave without delay, residents of a northwest Edmonton condominium building now face an uncertain future.
Engineers investigating after a fire in March of this year discovered Castledowns Pointe, an 83-unit wood-framed structure built in 1999, is structurally unsound.
Dangerous framing, twisting trusses and weak foundations have left the four-storey building at risk of collapse.
Inspection reports revealed that its actual construction didn't match the architectural designs on record, and that parts of the 24-year-old structure have started to show signs of failure.
It's a case of history repeating. Serious problems with condos in Alberta continue to surface. Experts say the latest case is a cautionary tale about the legal risks faced by buyers, and that it demonstrates a need for greater regulation.
In just over a decade, several hundred Albertans have been forced out of their condos in high-profile evacuations. Previous cases provide a troubling blueprint for the challenges ahead for the displaced residents of Castledowns Pointe.
Anand Sharma, a condo manager and president of the North Alberta chapter of the non-profit Canadian Condominium Institute, said the evacuation at Castledowns Pointe gives him a sense of déjà vu.
Alberta's legislation needs more teeth to hold builders accountable and protect consumers, Sharma said. While hundreds of owners and tenants have been evacuated over the years, thousands more owners have been saddled with costs associated with repairing shoddy construction.
"Building standards haven't been enforced," Sharma said. "Albertans need a surety that their homes are safe."
Here are some examples of condo building evacuations in Alberta in the last dozen years:
Penhorwood, Fort McMurray
In 2011, more than 300 people were evacuated on a cold March night after inspectors determined the 168-unit Penhorwood condo complex was structurally unsound. Just before midnight, all residents of were ordered out on 30 minutes' notice.
The evacuation triggered a $60-million lawsuit against more than 28 defendants, including the companies that built the complex, the architect and engineering firms that designed it, and the municipality that approved it.
"People were literally left scrambling," Christine Burton, a lawyer who owned a unit in the building said in a recent interview. "They left with the clothes on their back.
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