Daycare, businesses next to unsafe Langford tower handed evacuation order

The fallout from the evacuation of a Vancouver Island apartment building continues to grow, with two neighbouring businesses saying they’ve also been forced to vacate due to concerns about a collapse.

Residents of RidgeView Place in Langford were ordered to leave the 90-unit building last week, after the city revoked its occupancy permit based on a report from an independent engineer that found structural safety issues.

2:20 Evacuated Langford apartment residents getting more help

It is the second time in four years the building has been evacuated due to structural concerns.

Since then, the city has posted large warning signs nearby, telling people to stay away from the area. An adjacent thrift store and a daycare operated by a local church have also been told to leave.

“It was heartbreaking for the parents, because they need daycare. It was hard to tell them,” said Maureen McNeil who manages the Our Lady of the Rosary pre-school and daycare.

“I’m hoping they’re going to say it’s safe to go back into, and the children can go back.”

McNeil said the daycare got the order to leave last Wednesday, and has been told there would be an assessment to determine if the building is at risk of collapsing, and if so, in what direction.

2:25 Residents of Langford apartment building evacuated for second time in four years

Cynthia Santos, who manages the Our Lady of the Rosary parish office, said the church was scrambling to find a new location for the daycare and for the parish’s administrative work.

“It’s very scary,” she said.

“Every time you go to the office, we try and make it as fast as we could to get anything we need because we always think it might fall, it might collapse. But I hope not.”

In a statement, Centrurion Property Associates, the company that owns the 11-storey building, said it “has engaged a third-party structural engineering firm to understand how to best address and remediate these concerns as thoroughly as possible,” but provided no further details.

The company has provided tenants with $2,500 in “compassionate assistance,” and the province stepped in last week to cover five days of emergency needs such as transport and accommodation.

Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson said the city has since pledged to match donations up to $75,000 to help the displaced residents as well.

But he said residents shouldn’t get their hopes up about returning to the building any time soon.

“If you are moving out, it’s for the long term. You’re not going to be moving back in a week or in a month, you’re looking for long-term accommodations until we have any new information,” he said.