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Bedbugs put the bite on Burnaby residents

At a patio table in the back of Swedish Canadian Manor, a group of residents sit around chatting. It’s typically an opportunity for neighbours to kibitz about the day in the warm summer air. But the conversation isn’t so pleasant.
bugs
Michael Glavin has been living at Swedish Canadian Manor for nearly two years. In the last few weeks, his suite has been treated for bedbugs, but the insects keep coming back.

At a patio table in the back of Swedish Canadian Manor, a group of residents sit around chatting.

It’s typically an opportunity for neighbours to kibitz about the day in the warm summer air.

But the conversation isn’t so pleasant.

The residents have a laundry list of complaints from living in the decades-old building on Duthie Avenue in Burnaby, from dealing with cockroaches and mice, to some kind of ant-like insect.

However, the biggest problem for these residents is a bedbug infestation.

Michael McGonigal has lived in the manor for eight years. At first, there was never a problem with the insects. But the senior said a few years ago, someone brought the bedbugs in and they’ve been a problem ever since.

His unit got infested, and had to be sprayed more than a dozen times over the years. 

“The bed got majorly infested so I had to sleep on my futon,” he told the NOW, estimating at one point, he had to get rid of about $8,000 worth of furniture and clothing. “I virtually had to throw out everything and start from scratch.”

Even after several treatment sprays, the bugs kept coming back, and he kept bugging management to take out the carpets and put in new floors.

Eventually, the carpets were taken out, and the infestation subsided. He said the only bedbugs now come from the carpet in the hallway.

Michael Glavin has lived in the manor since the fall of 2014 and is in a similar boat as McGonigal.

His apartment was recently treated, but that effort hasn’t stopped the return of the critters. Glavin finds himself running bedding through the dryer in the middle of the night and waking up with bites all over.

“This is nuts,” he said, noting after one of the treatments, he lifted up the base boards in his apartment to find more bedbugs.

Glavin’s complained to management and has been told the problem will be taken care of. But he’s concerned about the residents who aren’t speaking up, suggesting they may be too afraid for fear of getting evicted. 

“The people here are simply not getting the treatment they need,” he said. “It’s a serious, serious problem.”

Swedish Canadian Manor is part of a trio of buildings in the North Burnaby neighbourhood operated by the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association, which also includes an assisted living residence and Gustav Wasa Place. The latter has 80 one-bedroom units subsidized by B.C. Housing, while Swedish Canadian Manor has 63 units with some of the apartments subsidized by B.C. Housing.

Other residents who spoke to the NOW complained of different problems in both of the independent living buildings. Fred Page moved into the manor three years ago, and his apartment was quickly overrun by cockroaches. He said he hasn’t used his stove in six months and the oven for even longer because the appliance is infested and waiting to be replaced.

“I feel neglected,” he said. I feel like I’m talked to and looked at from management as if I’m less than, and I don’t like that.”

The residents decided to speak out because they want management to take steps to fix the problems in the buildings.

But the manager of the building insists everything is being done to address the bedbug problems.

Kate Therrien, the property manager with Mender Property Services, said bedbugs have been a longtime issue with the manor. She said the property has spent “huge” amounts of money to keep the infestation under control.

The property managers even invested in a trailer to treat furniture and belongings for bedbugs before new people move into the building. The trailer sits on the lot just outside of the manor.

Therrien estimated spending $15,000 to $20,000 in 2015 fighting bedbugs in the building, noting money continues to be spent in the effort. 

“We’ve done anything we possibly can and are open to anything we could possibly do to keep it under control,” she said, adding management is willing to work with the residents when they have problems. “From where we have come in the last two years, it’s not nearly the issue it was before and it still is an issue.

Therrien acknowledged getting rid of bedbugs isn’t really a possibility and instead management is trying to keep the problem under control.

In a statement to the NOW, BC Housing said it’s not aware of the bedbug infestation at Swedish Canadian Manor, adding if there is a bedbug problem at the facility, the non-profit housing provider is responsible for managing any pest control issues.

The email said if a facility is not directly managed by BC Housing, it would only become involved in an extraordinary circumstance. For example, if the non-profit operator did not have funding to resolve the issue.

“Bed bugs are a global problem. Infestations can occur at expensive hotels, apartments and public venues as well as in social housing. Fighting bed bugs requires participation and cooperation from all parties, including tenants,” the statement said.

Back at the manor, Glavin said he continues to hear from people dealing with bedbugs in both the building and in other social housing sites around Burnaby.

He believes people are truly suffering and he wants to help them out if he can. He wants anyone who has a bedbug problem in social housing to contact him at mglavin@outlook.com.