It’s been two months since Lhea Noble and about two dozen tenants were evacuated from their building at 4310 Old Orchard in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. The city ordered the emergency evacuation on January 22 after an engineering report deemed the structure critical.
The inspection, conducted by ORTAM engineer Adam Checroune, revealed long-term neglect under previous ownership. New owner Elfaco Management Inc. had sought to delay evacuation to prepare tenant relocations, adding temporary supports.
Tenants say they were never warned of safety risks before the evacuation. A broken boiler during winter led to city inspectors being called, ultimately triggering the order.
Checroune said the city pressured him to take personal responsibility for safety or face evacuation. He refused, leading to the immediate displacement.
Further inspections found fire damage and asbestos. ORTAM is awaiting a structural engineer’s final report. Reoccupation is estimated in three to four months-possibly longer.
Tenants suspect a disguised renoviction. Noble claims Elfaco previously stated renovation plans. With rising costs and silence on reimbursements, morale is low.
Elfaco says safety drives the process, not speed, and will cover moving costs and partial rent for temporary housing-though not legally required.
The Cote-des-Neiges-NDG borough says it’s monitoring the situation and pressuring the landlord while awaiting ORTAM’s final assessment.