Mouldy home making family sick, says Morley couple

Heather Earsays her family has been to theemergency departmentand thedoctor's officemore times than she can remembersince moving back into her home on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation in January.

She blames their health problemson the black and white mouldspeckledunderneath the siding on her home west of Calgary. And she worries it'slurking underneath their walls,too.

"This scares me. For my kids' health, mygrandkids'health, my health, my husband, my sister. We are all getting sick ever since we got home, I just don't know what to do," said Ear.

Herhome has had leaks for years, she said.But it wasn't until after the 2013 floodthat her familystarted to get sick. They've had coughs, sinus problems, rashes and headaches.

When I leave here, in about two to three hours, I amnormal, I don't cough.When I come back home, I start coughing.- Darcy Cressman

Her husband, Darcy Cressman, sayshis symptoms come and go.

"When I leave here, in about two to three hours, I am normal, I don't cough," said Cressman. "When I come back home, I start coughing."

Ear says the family was evacuated from their home on the Morley reserve during the flood. When they returned, officials couldn't find any flood-related damage, so they didn't qualify for provincial disaster assistance.

Riddled with mould

ButEar says it didn't take long before the family detectedan odour and everyonestarted getting sick. The familywas able to stay in hotels and other temporary accommodationsfor about a year. First throughtheRed Cross and then through the First Nation,until last fall, when theSamaritan's Pursehired a contractor to renovate part of the home. A spokesman for the organization toldCBC News Ear's home was riddled with mould.

Ear says they are grateful for all the help.

"We've never had a wooden floor. I am so happy they did this. Some of these cabinets came from the States. They did so much."

But within about a month, their health problems returned.

"Headaches. My throat started to getclogged up. Sometimes, itshard to chew food," said Franklin Ear, Heather's son.

No relief in sight

The Stoney Nakoda First Nation is aware of the ongoing problems in the home. Spokesperson RobertShotclosesays the First Nation willlook atreassessing it, to see if more remediation is required, or if itneeds to be demolished. But, hesays,the First Nation doesn'thave an immediate solution.

"We have at the moment limited interim housing. There is just a shortage of housing out here," said Shotclose, theCEO of theBearspawband. "So even if we wanted to right now we don't have a spot exactlyon the reserve."

The provincial government is providing 40 modular units this month to accommodateflood affected familieson the First Nationwhile they're homes are repaired. Shotclose says he's hoping to make a deal with the province to keep theunits afterwardsto help with the housing shortage. Then, he says,he could offer one of these units to Ear's family in about ayear and a half.

But Ear saysthat's not soon enough.

"I can't stay here. I don't want to stay here. But where else are we going to go."