Flowers have been left outside the front doors of Hadgraft Wilson Place in honour of a resident whose entire life story is woven into the building’s now cracked foundation.
Jim Hadgraft’s parents helped fund the development of the Kelowna, B.C., housing complex that opened its doors last year to people with physical and cognitive challenges, with him and others in a similar position, in mind.
He had Down syndrome and was one of the building’s first residents — a fact he was very proud of.
“He would open the door for everybody, would carry their groceries, would stand by the mailboxes to ensure that no one ever stole mail,” his sister Sue Bauman said Thursday.
He loved it there.
“He was doing very, very well and I think that maybe the really sad thing is that the last four weeks changed how well he had been doing, and I’m sure it’s the same for many, many of the tenants,” Bauman said.
Hadgraft died Tuesday at 55 years old, after what was believed to be complications of a broken leg.
It’s an injury Bauman thinks he never would have suffered had he not been forced from the comforts of his home on April 1, when cracks in the building’s foundation prompted an evacuation. Those cracks are believed to have been caused by the construction of a massive UBC Okanagan tower next door.
“He started wandering a lot. The RCMP found him one night standing right outside Hadgraft Wilson Place with his groceries at midnight and had to bring him back to the hotel,” Bauman said.
“He was he was very anxious. He couldn’t quite understand what had happened to him. He was displeased he was living in a hotel.”
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When Hadgraft started to wander, his safety was put at risk.
“On Sunday, somewhere in Kelowna … he fell, and in falling, he fractured his tibia,” Bauman said.
It was a painful break. When doctors put a cast on Hadgraft, Bauman said she was told it took four people to hold him down.
“I think it was just too much for him,” she said.
“He was due to have an operation on April 23, and passed away early that morning. His heart simply stopped. It was just simply too much for his body to accept the pain and the discomfort.”
Bauman is mourning the brother she described as someone who was both lovable and loved people.
“He had a good life,” she said.
“About that, I have no regrets whatsoever. But we are all extremely sad.”
Part of that sadness is because the community that Hadgraft had come to rely on so deeply had broken up in such unusual circumstances.
“I don’t blame anybody for this except I don’t think this would have happened if Jim had indeed been in his home and been in a safe place,” she said.
“And a hotel room is not a safe place.”
There’s also anger at the UBC Trust, which she believes has a “moral responsibility” to the tenants of Hadgraft Wilson Place that’s not being met.
“You’ve denied responsibility and in doing that you’ve taken a moral stand that you won’t support the people in your community and that is in fact disgraceful to me,” she said, explaining it’s BC Housing and Pathways that are supporting residents most.
She doesn’t expect an admission of liability from the university but said there’s been too much silence and too much weight put on those who have been most deeply affected, including her mother.
“My mom’s almost 98. We’ve had to tell her that the building’s falling down, Jim has been evacuated and he’s living in a hotel room, and then we had to tell her that he passed away,” she said.
“I don’t wish that on anybody. And her words were, ‘You mean my Jim is gone?’ It was awful.”
Lesley Cormack, principal and deputy vice-chancellor at UBC Okanagan, said she is deeply saddened to learn of Hadgraft’s death.
“As a family namesake and a centre of the community at Hadgraft-Wilson Place, we know Jim will be remembered for the kindness and care that he showed to everyone around him,” Cormack said in an emailed statement.
“I can only imagine how difficult this is for his family, friends, and the Pathways Abilities Society community. I have offered my condolences and those of UBC Okanagan on behalf of students, faculty and staff to his family at this challenging time.”
Cormack said during an earlier interview that the university was working with all affected parties to address the needs of residents and the issues with the building. What that means remains to be seen and was not addressed in the statement issued on Thursday.
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas said they’ve been in communication with Pathways to co-ordinate a plan going forward and an announcement is forthcoming about the status of the building and the fate of the residents.
UBC Properties Trust resumed work at UBCO Downtown mid-month.
The work was aimed at further ensuring the site’s stability and is the last planned adjustment to the excavation depth for the proposed permanent structure.
“We are advised by professional engineers that the shoring wall remains stable and that raising the excavation depth will also mitigate future soil settlement on adjacent land, including Hadgraft Wilson Place,” the university said in an April 11 statement.
“In accordance with City of Kelowna regulatory conditions, work on-site is subject to the City’s approval and regulatory process prior to proceeding. This process requires geotechnical and structural engineering design to be peer-reviewed. The project team continues to remain in contact with both HWP, Pathways and the City of Kelowna regarding construction activities.”
A memorial service for Hadgraft will be held on the May long weekend.
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