CSL building tenants worry that proposed renovations could force them from their homes
Proposed renovations to a Cote-St-Luc building have some tenants fearing they could be pushed out of their homes.
According to city officials, a request for a zoning change was filed over a year ago, with the landlord specifically looking to increase the number of units in the building by adding an additional floor.
Alex Gorchkov, who has lived in the building for more than 20 years, said that he likes living there due to the affordable rent but fears he may be forced out.
“If they get the permit, some people like myself might lose their homes for good,” he said.
“For the residents who live here now, it's not going to add anything for us, it's not going to give us anything,” said Lindsay Rollin, who has lived in the building with his wife, Audrey, for over 40 years. “All it will do is make our lives miserable. We'll have to put up with the noise, the construction. It's going to be awful.”
"The landlord strongly values the situation of current tenants and is happy to work with them, on an independent basis, to accommodate," read a statement from Holand Real Estate Group, which manages the building.
"We feel that this property can achieve much greater quality of life for the residents involved," it read.
Cote-St-Luc city council member Dida Berku said that while the project hasn't been approved yet, the building is “in dire need of renovation.”
“So what we need to do is to balance how we can accommodate both sides.”
Berku said that if construction proceeds, people can move to other, vacant units on a temporary basis.
“I am very sensitive to tenants' rights. From day one, I was very clear with the council that we had to find a way to protect the tenants,” she said.
However, she added that increasing the number of units available for rent in the city is “very good for the residents of Cote-St-Luc.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.