Habitat for Humanity's cleanup at a Burnaby strata complex almost two weeks ago did more harm than good, according to a whistleblower.
The volunteer, who worked on the site at 8745 Government St. and wished not to be named for fear of retaliation by Habitat, said numerous jobs were done wrong or left unfinished.
"There's a huge pile of landscaping soil just sitting in the parking lot. It takes up three parking stalls," she explained. "Tenants have actually had to take a wheelbarrow and move the soil themselves to make more space."
Another concern is a damaged retaining wall beside the playground.
"I'm positive this wasn't damaged before the Work Bee program. A family found a toy behind the wall last week," she said. "It poses a safety threat should the wall come down and injure a child."
A wooden fence that separates the kid's area from the backyards was done poorly according to the source.
"They used finger-joint wood that isn't suitable for something like this ... a kid bumps it or a ball breaks it, it's going to be broken again in no time," she said.
Behind the retaining wall is a trench that has been dug up to run electrical wiring for exterior lighting.
"They dug it, but it's just an empty hole and no one knows when it's going to be completed," she said.
According to the source, the light posts that run along the walkways between a Habitat unit and a strata unit have never worked. "I've had to use my car lights just to see where I'm going," she said. "Obviously this poses a security threat."
When asked about the unfinished work, Tim Clark, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, said the lot should be up to par in two week's time.
"We had no idea that it was dark over there, that there were security problems," she said. "We had never been informed until it came up at our annual general meeting."
She added the trench hasn't been filled because Habitat is waiting for BC Hydro to disconnect the power so an old electrical panel can be pulled out.
As for the retaining wall, Clark said it was hit by an excavator during the cleanup and will be fixed by the end of the week.
"The retaining wall is not in any way unstable. We've got a call out to repair it," she said.
A strata member, who also cannot be named because she fears retaliation, has also come forward and said the biggest issue about the cleanup was that council was left out of the loop.
Clark however told the NOW she had contacted the strata prior to the event.
"They did not obtain permission to hold the event on our property. It's needed considering five-sixths of this complex is owned by people other than Habitat," the strata member said.
She said the lack of communication is because the relationship between Habitat and the strata has been strained over the last few years.
"We've been requesting that Habitat finish the complex, for instance, the lights and the landscaping that was not done as per permit. For years, the strata has requested these things be done and Habitat has put the strata off saying, 'We're going to do it all when the sixth building is finished.' That never happened," she said. "They ceased to come here after the families received their keys last summer."
After months of not hearing from Habitat, strata hired a lawyer who drafted a letter in January 2014, outlining the deficiencies, including exterior lighting.
"It was sent to Tim Clark and the board and we did not receive a reply," she said.
A meeting between an electrical inspector, Tim Clark and the strata was to occur on July 8.
"Clark did not show up or let anyone know she wasn't coming. This (meeting) was to go over the electrical deficiencies," she added.
At Habitat's annual general meeting the next day, the strata gave a presentation regarding the same issues.
"We did not receive any communication after that. Instead of meeting with us to discuss a solution, they went ahead and held the Work Bee program without letting us know," she said. "We found out through a volunteer who received an email about it."
The strata member said no one on council has been told if and when Habitat will finish the tasks, adding the absence of communication shows a lack of a respect.
"It's about the ethical way of doing business. Unfortunately, they don't feel we have the right to this kind of information."
