CityPlace condo residents worried about health as black mould found in building

Several condo residents say they're worried about their health after discovering black mould in several places in their CityPlace tower.

Residents of Parade, one of the sleek glass highrises on Fort York Boulevard, say they've seen mould in the building's gym change rooms, mail room and at its security desk.

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Pictures taken inside the building's changing room which management has now cordoned off shows black mould on the ceiling and walls. Mike Bradley said he was shocked when he first discovered the mould.

"Floor to ceiling, just covered in black," he said, shaking his head.

"It's bad. Everybody I talk to, it's just like, 'Stay away.'"

Bradley, who learned about the health hazards of black mould while he was running a painting franchise in Calgary, quickly alerted building management about the problem. Shortly after, he said, the change room was shut down.

Mould, which thrives in dark, dank spaces where there isn't enough ventilation, releases tiny spores into the air that can be inhaled. Those spores can cause a series of respiratory health issues and can seriously harm children.

One female resident said she plans to move out if the problems aren't fixed quickly.

This is the latest issue CityPlace residents have dealt with. In October, there was a spate of power outages in the area.

Management says it's working on a fix

Estela Imas, the CEO and president of Elite Property Management Inc., acknowledged the issues in the building.

"The area was closed as a precaution [measure]," Imas said in an email to CBC News.

"The Condominium and Concord's engineers have inspected the area," she said, adding repair methods have been discussed.

A note on the door blames the humidity levels in the changing room.

Imas didn't provide a timeline forthe removal of the mould.

Management should have seen problem coming, resident says

Bradley said he's shocked building management and its cleaning staff let the problem get as bad as it did. He said he's noticed moisture dripping from the ceiling before, which could have led to the mould.

"They really should have noticed," he said.

Bradley said he's not confident building management will be able to get rid of the mould which he said is far worse than the small spots that might pop up in your shower.

"They say they're working on it. But they say they're working on a lot of problems with the building and since we've moved in a year-and-a-half ago, none of the issues have been resolved."

Bradley, who also pointed out several other moisture issues in the building, said he's hoping to move out of the building soon.