'No place like home': Gatineau tenants thrilled to return after tornado

Hundreds of tenants of the LesJardinsRadissonapartment buildings in Gatineau'sMont-Bleu neighbourhood stood in line Monday with suitcases, groceries and pets, waiting for the go-ahead to move back into their rental units 10 days after they were forced out by an EF-3 tornado.

Three of thefive brick buildings that make up the apartment complexon rue Radissonhad windows blown outand metal flashings torn off as the tornado ripped through. Debris from nearby buildings and trees also slammed into most of the 623 units.

One building in the complex lost its roof altogether.

About 150 units were severely damagedtheir windows blown outor parts of their balconies torn off.

Joel O'Brien, holdinghis white catin a small carrier and plastic bags stuffed with clothes, wasanxious to get back into his sixth-floorunit after staying with a friend and an apartment/hotel since the storm on Sept. 21.

He left with only his wallet, cellphoneand cat. Last week, the landlordallowed tenants back in briefly to pick up clothes and personal hygiene products.

"I feel really happy," O'Brien said on Monday at being let back in permanently.

"I feel really luckythat I'm safe and sound, and so is my little cat over there. It's been a long experience but I consider myself lucky because our building is still intact and we can move back in today."

O'Brien was at home when the tornado hit.

"It was quite a dangerous and scary experience," he said, recalling how his bedroom and living-room windows were smashed in.

"I had glass flying through and debris from all the other buildings flying by."

JasonAshdown one of the founders of Skyline Living, the company that owns LesJardinsRadisson was shocked when he showed upthe day after the tornado to see vehiclescrushed into one anotherand about 30 mature trees snapped oruprooted.

The companysecured backhoes, small tractorsand dozens of dumpsters as 75 workers began the cleanupoutside and in hundreds of apartments.

"We removed all theloose debris, thousands upon thousands of [pieces of] debris from thesite," Ashdown said.

"There wasn't one inch of this site that didn't have a piece of someone else's roof on it or garbage or glass on it, and the glassbreaks up into little tiny pieces and it's in everyone's suite."

Before the tenants could return, the buildings had to be inspected to ensure they were structurally secure, metal flashingswere fastened, fire safety tests were performedand all the glass and sharp debris werecleared.

Replacement glass has been ordered.For now, plywood covers all the broken windows and balcony doors. And while the concrete floors of the balconies have been deemed safe, the railings still need to be checked.

Ashdownsaid he hopes to have all the windows replaced within a few weeks, but that it will be three months until all the other repairs are finished.

He understands the frustration from some tenants about being out of their apartments for so long, but said his company had to be cautious. "We had to keep their safety always top of mind," he said.

Gatineau tenants returning home after tornado

7 years ago

Duration 0:48

Hundreds of tenants including Joel O'Brien were forced out of their units after a tornado swept through their apartment complex in Gatineau's Mont-Bleu neighbourhood. Extensive cleanup was required before they could move back.

Thankful for tenant insurance requirement

O'Brien had only been livingin his apartment for threeweeks when the tornado hit, and in hindsight he's glad SkylineLiving requires tenants to securerenter'sinsurance.

"It's a requirement for every tenant that moves in," Ashdown said. "But unfortunately when some tenants move in they cancel it. It just goes to show you that when something bad happens ...unfortunately the people that don't have the insuranceneed it the most."

Tenants were welcomed back Monday with a free slice of pizza, andSkyline Living bought some groceries and received donations from some grocerystores. Tenants helped themselves to cleaning supplies, pet foodand groceries that volunteers handed out.

Richard Gaudreau, who lives with his brother in one of the buildings that wasn't badly damaged, stayed with his children duringthe cleanup.

"Oh, I feel so happy," Gaudreau said."Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home."