A home renovation project in Brampton, Ont., has caused an explosion of local concern, with residents worried the unguarded construction site poses a safety hazard for children in the area.
One home in the city, located to the northwest of Toronto, is in the midst of a large-scale renovation that will allow the owner to accommodate a basement unit in their building.
“The top concern is safety, safety of the children that reside next door to this,” Kathleen McDermott, the friend of a particularly concerned neighbour, told Global News.
The renovation is taking place on Caledon Crescent in Peel Village, not far from the city’s downtown.
The homeowner has received a building permit for the work but the construction has sparked local anger nonetheless. One neighbour posted a video of the work that’s been widely shared on social media.
“The machines just went off, my kids cannot sleep,” the female neighbour can be heard saying in the video, speaking over images of construction debris amidst the sound of drilling and other work.
“This is not fair, this is what I have to live with.”
The neighbour asked Global News not to appear on camera, citing concerns about her young daughter.
McDermott, a friend, said nothing was changing.
“The homeowner has two young children, one with special needs (and) unfortunately as a result of all the construction not in a safe manner, she says she’s felt like a prisoner inside her own home,” she said.
They have called the City of Brampton many times and involved the local councillor, and the mayor’s office — which says it’s aware of the concerns.
But nothing has changed.
The home owner, who would not disclose their name to Global News and objected to being filmed from the street, said they had already talked to city officials about the project, including site safety.
Data posted online by the City of Brampton shows three building permits granted for the address in the first half of the year. The homeowner has permission to develop an inground interior lot, create a second unit and change the status of the home to a two-unit dwelling.
The renovation is a common project for a neighbourhood built in the 1970s, with homeowners looking for ways to expand.
Brampton, in particular, has seen a swell in registered and unregistered basement units across the city, often rented out by homeowners as a source of extra income. The move is encouraged by the city, as long as it is done to code and registered, while the Ontario government is also in favour, counting new basement units toward its goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
City officials confirmed to Global News that the homeowner has a building permit, which should be publicly posted, and said the site would be visited again to ensure it is compliant.