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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.