WATCH ABOVE: Eric Szeto sits down with a wounded Edmonton soldier who was entitled to have his off-base home modified to be wheelchair-accessible. But the home likely won’t be ready before he is released from the military at the end of June, leaving him on the hook for the renos and without a home to live in.
EDMONTON — Sgt. Kevin Nanson was willing to sacrifice everything for his country. He’s been wheelchair-bound since 2008, when he was wounded by an IED attack in Afghanistan.
Now, he’s being forced to fight another battle. This time, for his home.
“It’s a nightmare,” he says.
After his injury, Nanson was entitled to have his off-base home modified to be wheelchair-accessible, paid for by the federal government. But the renovations are nowhere near complete, and the money will be gone as of June 30, when he’s released by the military.
The end-of-June deadline is also problematic, as it means Nanson will no longer be able to live at his temporary home at CFB Edmonton.
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The federal government contracted the work out to Northport Accessibility Construction. Despite assurances of progress made by the company, Nanson says its been problem after problem with no permits and shoddy workmanship.
Nanson calls it disheartening.
“I’ve got two small girls and a wife,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, I honestly don’t.”
“It’s hard enough trying to live a normal life in a chair. Every day is a challenge and now I’ve got this,” Nanson added.
Despite the troubles, the company continued to get paid. Nanson complained to the Department of National Defence, but said little was done. The owner of Northport Accessibility Construction says he’s done nothing wrong.
“We haven’t taken them for anything,” said Allan Boyce, Northport Accessibility Construction. “We did run into issues with plumbing and electrical, and we resolved them.”
But Nanson disagrees. “The paperwork said the garage door was done. I don’t see a garage door,” he said.
In a statement, the Department of National Defence said “We are working with contractors to have Sgt. Kevin Nanson’s home modification completed and continue to cover Sgt. Nanson’s dual residency costs during the process. If the modification project cannot be finished prior to the release date as planned, other possibilities such as an extension to the release date will be considered.”
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Nanson still isn’t convinced the government will have his back.
“To come home to have to fight the very government, the very bureaucracy that sent us there in the first place is wrong.”
With files from Eric Szeto, Global News.
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