TL;DR - we have no heat AND awful windows, leading to ice & freezing temperatures indoors at all High Park buildings (35, 65, 95 High Park Avenue & 66 Pacific Avenue) owned by GWL. 

 

EDITS

January 25 @ 11:00 AM - The blizzard has begun and the heat has not returned.

January 25 @ 5:20 PM - Multiple tenants at 66 Pacific Ave have reported power outages, with a few theorizing it's due to the massive increase in personal space heaters running at once.

January 25 @ 5:34 PM - GWL has informed all residents that we will be without heat until the end of day January 26, at minimum, meaning that during the record breaking blizzard today, we will not be getting heat.

January 26 @ 9:40 AM - A tenant provided proof of recorded 16C temperatures indoors with a space heater (and a young child living with them, not good)

January 26 @ 11:38 AM - A 311 bylaw officer measured temperatures in a tenants unit and confirmed they are below safety regulations.

January 26 @ 11:47 AM - Still no heat in any buildings.

January 27 @ 9:22 AM - Still no heat in any buildings, despite what GWL says.

January 27 @ 12:30 PM - CityTV was seen at 66 Pacific Avenue interviewing residents about the loss of heat & power.

January 28 @ 9:00 AM - Some heat has returned, but quickly leaves through the faulty windows, leaving tenants still enduring below legal temperatures.

January 28 @ 9:40 PM - Mayor Olivia Chow has been confirmed to be visiting & speaking with tenants tomorrow afternoon regarding these ongoing issues.

 

FULL DETAILS

The Windows - since at least 2020, we have paid above average rent increases each year as GWL has acknowledged that our windows do not keep in any heat during the winter. These increases are so that our windows can be replaced during the next summer. Every year since at least then, GWL has made excuses and delayed the project another year. Without a space heater, temperatures INDOORS reach freezing, with tenants this year able to see their breath indoors and have ice forming inside. Whenever a tenant reports it, they are told they’re the only one with the issue and there have been no other complaints, which is completely false and just corporate gaslighting to make us feel alone.

 

The Radiators/Boiler - multiple times per winter, the radiators in our units stop working. Sometimes it is because they are ancient technology that can’t keep up, but most often it’s because the boiler that services all of our buildings has broken again. It’s broken at least 5 times this week alone, and as I write this at 8pm on the coldest night of the year, it is currently down again.

When you combine faulty radiators, a broken boiler, and acknowledged terrible windows, with a company collecting increases for projects that never happen (aka fraud), you end up with hundreds of freezing cold humans & pets. We cannot keep suffering because GWL does not care about their tenants and only wants to keep collecting higher than usual rent increases only to gaslight us when we see our breathe indoors.

If you think 311 is the answer, you’ve never dealt with them. Every year, many tenants, myself included, report these issues to 311. Investigations are short, side with GWL without so much as a site visit, and are closed. 

THE SOLUTION

There are a few steps that need to be taken. I understand windows cannot be replaced right now in the peak of winter, but the government and news outlets need to hold GWL accountable to actually replace them this summer (and without raising rent again). They also need to actually fix the heating - whether that is replacing radiators or installing actual heating within the building.

In the meantime, GWL needs to provide all residents with at least one space heater per room in the apartment, AND cover all hydro increases. I’m not looking to get free hydro, but any increase over my usual amount for running space heaters constantly to achieve room temperatures should be covered by GWL. 

SUMMARY

If we do not have adequate heating, people will die. This isn’t hyperbole. We have a large population of senior citizens AND young children in these buildings. People living in freezing temperatures during the coldest nights and upcoming biggest storm of the year will suffer. This isn’t right and GWL needs to be held accountable.