Elderly and vulnerable residents of an HLM in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve that has been without power for four days believe they have not been prioritized by Hydro-Québec.
This poor, elderly, and sometimes disabled clientele is now on its fifth day without power…in the heart of Montreal.
• Also read: Ice Storm: Less than 35,000 Hydro Quebec customers to be reconnected
“Honestly, it’s been too long. We, the elderly, should be the first!” denounces Danielle De Courcy, who lives with HLM Adélard-Langevin with her husband, who lives with two amputated legs.
The 69-unit senior citizens’ building is among the last customers in the neighborhood to have run out of power since last Wednesday’s ice storm.
Around 1pm today, the Hydro-Québec Info-pannes site was still showing a “major outage” affecting 99 customers, including the HLM, while the vast majority of the district was able to regain power.
In the Passage du Journal this morning, several residents were waiting near the main entrance and the community hall, observing, among other things, the Hydro-Québec trucks parked in front of the apartment building.
“It’s misery!” exclaims resident Jean-Paul Ménard, 89. I walk around with a scarf and woolen stockings on my feet to avoid catching the flu.”
Olivier Faucher / JdeM
Local resident Jean-Paul Ménard, found in his apartment blacked out by the collapse at HLM Adélard-Langevin that has been ongoing since Thursday, poses here with what little food he has left to eat.
A priority?
Hydro-Québec announced a few days ago that priority would be given to reconnecting CHSLDs, retirement homes and hospitals. Are HLMs also among those priorities, inhabited by an elderly and destitute clientele?
“Regarding the restoration of low-income housing, [nous] For example, let’s recover an HLM after an RPA, but before a residential sector,” explained Francis Labbé, spokesman for Hydro-Québec.
“In this case, it is a glitch affecting a subway network; A line would have collapsed, which is a tall order, Mr Labbé said. A generator will soon be installed at this point before the work is completed.
Pierre Lessard-Blais, Mayor of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, declined our interview request. “The District is closely monitoring the situation and is offering full cooperation with Hydro-Québec and the OMHM,” said District spokesman Vincent Fortin.
As for the Office Municipal d’Habitation de Montréal (OMHM), we were unable to speak to a representative.
Monique Bélisle, president of the HLM’s residents’ committee, did not hide her anger when questioned about the delays dragging on to get residents reconnected.
“If we’re being prioritized, it doesn’t look like it! she curses. I think it’s taking too long. They don’t even know when we’re going to get some [de l’électricité].”
Olivier Faucher / JdeM
Monique Bélisle, President of the Residents’ Committee of the HLM, eats pizza brought by citizens who help the HLM.
Ms Bélisle believes the vulnerabilities of dozens of HLM residents have not been taken seriously enough.
“There are many sick people and people with limited mobility here,” she emphasizes, also emphasizing her precarious financial situation.
“It’s gonna cost me $400”
“We had to order food and throw the food in our fridge. We only have our pension to live on, so we can’t do that for a long time.
“It’s going to cost me about $400. Is there anyone who can help us pay?” asks Ms. Bélisle.
Jean-Paul Ménard shows what he has to eat by showing his home darkened by the glitch: a few cans, a cold pizza and cups of fruit.
“I ate junk food,” he said, pointing to a can of tomato pasta. I ate the cane without heating it.”
Grabbed at the throat by the prices of groceries, he wonders how he’s going to make up for the loss of everything he’s thrown in his fridge. “The amount I have per month is just to pay my rent and stuff and that’s it. I can’t help it.”
citizens to the rescue
Luckily, the residents could count on the generosity of several citizens who brought them food and coffee and offered residents the opportunity to do loads of laundry in their homes.
Olivier Faucher / JdeM
Good Samaritan Claude Ducharme serves pizza by Jean-Paul Ménard brought by citizens helping HLM.
Among them, Claude Ducharme is surprised at the lack of help from the municipality and the Office Municipal d’Habitation de Montréal.
“Why am I taking charge of the building? he asks. It’s missing somewhere. It should have been taken more seriously as a situation.
According to him, the help offered by the municipality required moving to one of the warm shelters, while many residents have difficulty moving or do not want to leave their pets out in the cold.
For Jean-Paul Ménard there is no question of leaving his two parakeets alone, which he has been trying to warm up since Thursday. “It’s the only thing I’ve had since my wife died in 2020,” he breathes.