For nearly two weeks, Marie Anderson has watched the world go by from her fourth-floor apartment window. The 87-year-old Calgary resident hasn’t been able to leave her building since the elevator broke down on May 1st.
“I’ve missed my doctor’s appointment, my hair appointment, and Sunday church,” Anderson told me during our phone interview. Her voice carried the weariness of someone trapped in their own home. “It’s like being in jail, except I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Anderson is one of 26 seniors living at Ridgeview Gardens, an independent living facility in Calgary’s southwest. The building’s only elevator has been out of service for 12 days, effectively stranding residents with mobility issues in their apartments.
Management posted notices promising repairs within 48 hours. Almost two weeks later, residents are still waiting.
“They keep saying the parts are coming tomorrow,” said Robert Kwong, 79, whose apartment is on the third floor. “Tomorrow never seems to come.”
The situation at Ridgeview Gardens highlights a growing concern across Canada’s aging housing infrastructure. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, nearly 40% of seniors’ housing facilities in Alberta were built before 1980, with maintenance issues becoming increasingly common.
For residents like Anderson, who uses a walker, the stairs aren’t an option. “I tried going down once with my son helping, but it was terrifying,” she said. “My knees just can’t handle it anymore.”
The property management company, Westdale Properties, issued a statement claiming supply chain issues have delayed the necessary parts. “We understand the frustration and are working diligently to resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” their spokesperson wrote in an email response.
But residents and their families say the response has been inadequate. Janet Miller drives from Airdrie three times a week to deliver groceries to her mother, who lives on the fifth floor.
“They haven’t offered any alternatives or assistance,” Miller said as we spoke in the building’s lobby. “Some residents haven’t been outside in days. How is this acceptable?”
Calgary’s building code requires functional elevators in multi-story residential buildings with seniors or people with disabilities. The city’s bylaw services confirmed they’re investigating after receiving multiple complaints.
Councilor Kourtney Penner, whose ward includes Ridgeview Gardens, expressed concern about the situation. “We’re looking into what enforcement mechanisms are available,” she said during our call yesterday. “Seniors shouldn’t be trapped in their homes because of maintenance failures.”
The elevator outage has sparked a wider conversation about aging infrastructure in seniors’ housing. Ruth Adria from the Elder Advocates of Alberta Society says this isn’t an isolated incident.
“We receive similar complaints several times a year,” Adria explained. “As buildings age, these critical systems fail more frequently, and seniors bear the burden.”
Provincial regulations require housing operators to maintain essential services, but enforcement mechanisms are often reactive rather than preventative. The Alberta Seniors and Housing Ministry declined to comment on the specific situation but pointed to existing maintenance requirements for licensed facilities.
For residents at Ridgeview Gardens, each passing day amplifies their isolation. Community members have stepped up, organizing volunteer groups to deliver groceries and medications.
Pastor Jim Collins from Westside Community Church has coordinated a team of volunteers. “We’re doing what we can to help,” he said while delivering meals yesterday. “But this is a band-aid solution to a problem that needs urgent fixing.”
Health professionals warn about the potential impacts of prolonged isolation. Dr. Sarah Thompson, a geriatrician at the University of Calgary, notes that extended confinement can lead to physical and mental health deterioration in seniors.
“Beyond missing medical appointments, there are serious consequences to isolation,” Thompson said. “Depression, anxiety, and physical deconditioning can happen quickly in the elderly population.”
According to the most recent Statistics Canada data, more than 43% of Canadian seniors report feeling isolated or lonely, with those living in apartments particularly vulnerable.
Back at Ridgeview Gardens, Marie Anderson keeps herself busy with crossword puzzles and phone calls to friends. She’s set up a chair by her window where she watches children play in the park across the street.
“I used to go sit on that bench every afternoon,” she said, pointing outside. “Now I just watch other people enjoying the spring weather.”
Yesterday afternoon, a small protest formed outside the building. Family members and community advocates held signs reading “Free Our Seniors” and “Fix The Elevator Now.”
As media attention grows, Westdale Properties issued an updated statement promising the elevator would be operational by week’s end. They’ve also arranged for temporary assistance to help residents navigate the stairs if absolutely necessary.
For many residents, these measures come too late. The damage to trust has been done, and some families are considering relocating their loved ones.
“My mom has lived here for eight years,” said Miller. “But after this, we’re looking at other options. You can’t trust a building that leaves its most vulnerable residents stranded.”
As Calgary’s senior population continues to grow – projected to double by 2040 according to city planning documents – advocates say this situation serves as a warning about infrastructure preparedness.
“This is about more than one broken elevator,” Councilor Penner noted. “It’s about ensuring our housing stock can appropriately serve an aging population with dignity.”
For Marie Anderson, the promises of repairs can’t come soon enough. She misses the simple freedom of going outside, feeling the spring sunshine, and maintaining her independence.
“I didn’t think I’d ever feel trapped in my own home,” she said, gazing out her window. “All because of something as simple as an elevator that nobody thought to maintain properly.”
