235 Gosford residents raising concerns over building safety

Dozens of units have been re-occupied at 235 Gosford Boulevard and many more could be on Monday, but some residents are raising concerns about the building’s safety after a fatal five-alarm fire.

They are asking the city to halt what they are calling a “rushed effort” to bring tenants back to the North York high rise.

A lawyer representing a group of residents says no information has been disclosed about what criteria is being used to determine whether the units are safe and habitable and they are concerned about air quality and the presence of toxic soot.

“The waiver’s themselves are somewhat problematic and it’s not enough to say that we’ll clean once you’re back because soot, it can be difficult – sometimes impossible – to remove, especially if we’re talking fine particles in carpet or fabric,” says Caryma Sa’d.

“When there is a fire and things burn, not all materials burn cleanly. And when heated past a certain temperatures, certain plastics, metals and fibres can become carcinogenic. So it’s not sufficient that we will clean once you’re back.”

One resident, who is six-months pregnant, spoke to 680 NEWS and says she is concerned how left over soot could impact her unborn child.

“It’s basically robbed me of the joy of having to enjoy this baby because of all these unknown factors that are now being placed onto my life,” she said. “I’m just overwhelmed and I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

Residents of #235Gosford BVLD are sharing images from inside the building. @680NEWS @CityNews pic.twitter.com/FKroxR5Rc3

— Michelle Mackey (@michellemackey) December 28, 2019

Twenty-six units available to be reoccupied on Dec. 21st and on Dec. 27th, another 19 of 47 units were given the green light for reoccupation as part of phase 2. City staff are expected to be back on site Monday to determine if the remaining units can be cleared for reoccupation.

In a letter to Mayor John Tory, residents are asking for the reoccupation to be stopped until “an environmental engineer and/or indoor air quality hygienist confirms the building is safe.”

“I am aware that on certain floors there is still the odour and residue of smoke,” said Sa’d. “I know that there have been soot marks on walls that appear to have been painted over, which is wholly inadequate because you can’t cover the problem with a fresh coat of paint.”

The City of Toronto says Toronto Building has worked with Toronto Fire and the Electrical Safety Association along with numerous inspections of the site in order to assess building safety. The city adds even though cleaning is not addressed in the Building Code, “staff were advised that the owner will undertake all necessary cleaning prior to allowing tenants to return to their units.”

“Although not as part of the order to remedy a building safe, Toronto Building staff understand that an independent engineer also conducted air quality testing in the building, and noted no concerns,” read a letter released by the city late Saturday afternoon.

A welcome letter from the building’s management, Ronkay Management, said the building has passed two fire safety inspections, the most recent on Dec. 19.

Sa’d added that aside from the health concerns, residents have also spoken to her about the general quality of life at the building since returning.

“Stairwells are inaccessible so even someone who is on the fourth floor, they are stuck waiting for an elevator sometimes up to 25 minutes. In the elevator there is a security guard who is stationed there full time, who is making notations about who is going when and where. Residents are expected to wear a name card for safety reasons. I’ve heard reports of visitors not being allowed or being compelled to sign waivers. Even mobility within the building. If I’m on the first floor and I want to see my friend on the third floor, I may not be able to do that.”

There is still no official word on the cause of the five-alarm blaze that started in an eighth floor apartment unit which claimed the life of one man and left several hundred residents displaced.

Preliminary reports said the fire did not look suspicious and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office had narrowed the source of the fire down to one of the two bedrooms in the unit.