OCNews

Members of the OC community worked hard over the past several days to make this positive news happen for some Kelowna residents displaced from their homes.

Residents of Hadgraft Wilson Place will soon temporarily move into a new residence building at Okanagan College campus imminently. The Pathways Abilities Society is in the process of finalizing a lease with Okanagan College which will run until mid-August.  

“Our residents have become a tight-knit community in the past year and this opportunity allows them to maintain the support of their friends and neighbours,” said Charisse Daley, Executive Director of Pathways Ability Society. “Providing some stability about their next few months and having the amenities of homes will hopefully make things easier while they wait for the remediation of our building and next steps.”  

All residents will have the opportunity to move into the upper three floors of the new student housing building at OC’s Kelowna campus on KLO Road. There is a mix of individual rooms and common spaces, as well as some suites which will be matched to the residents based on their unique needs.  

“This has truly been a collaborative community effort to find a solution for the displaced residents at Hadgraft Wilson Place,” said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas. “City staff have been working diligently alongside Pathways, BC Housing and local developers to find options and alternatives for the residents, who have experienced so much during this trying time. We want to ensure this process continues to be handled with sensitivity, safety, and compassion.”  

“Part of what makes this region exceptional is how partners come together locally in times of need,” said Dr. Neil Fassina, Okanagan College president. “In this situation, we were able to respond to the call and come together as a team to get our new student housing building ready for the Pathways community to have access to the space now, when they need it. We’re pleased to be able to welcome them onto campus and into OC for the next few months.”

Residents from Hadgraft Wilson Place have been on evacuation from the building since the beginning of April after a review of third-party geotechnical and structural engineering reports raised safety concerns about the building.  

Based on the most recent geotechnical report it is expected to be several months before Hadgraft Wilson Place is ready for residents to return to the building. Pathways and its partner will continue to work to find longer term solutions for the residents starting in mid-August after the lease with Okanagan College ends.

Hadgraft Wilson Place building was opened in June 2023 and welcomed residents to 68 new affordable rental homes. The building construction was financed by BC Housing and is owned and managed by the Pathways Abilities Society.