Displaced Vernon residents face long haul before returning home

Carrie Player and her husband Norm Shaw have already been out of their home for nearly a month and now they’re facing the grim reality of not returning until mid-2026.

“It’s super frustrating,” said Player. “We’re both pretty positive people but it gets harder and harder every day.”

They are among the Vernon residents displaced from the 16-unit Crown Victoria housing complex following  a fire that broke out in one of the units on Nov. 3.

The flames badly damaged the unit and at least three others.

Player said her unit along with several others were not damaged.

“We don’t have any damage,” she told Global News.  “There’s no smoke smell, there’s no water.”

While their unit appears to be habitable, the problem is power and water have been cut to the building as crews begin the lengthy restoration process.

The couple is staying with family but need a place of their own and finding adequate housing isn’t easy.

“It just seems ridiculous that we’re stuck in a situation that we can’t seem to get out of,” Player said. “The rents around here are pretty high. We’re limited.”

The couple is wondering why re-wiring work can’t be done to allow residents of unaffected units to move back home.

Global News reached out to Accent Property Management multiple times but messages went unanswered by publication time.

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“Accent Property, they’re not saying anything, they’re saying we are not responsible, it’s Okanagan restoration, don’t call us,” said a frustrated Shaw.

In a letter to residents, the company stated “This is not going to be a quick fix situation… The adjuster suggests that the building will not be habitable until completely repaired, which may be as much as one-and-a-half years.”

Sharon Taylor is another resident of Crown Victoria.

She has fortunately secured a new home but feels for her fellow neighbours who haven’t.

“It’s awful, it’s dreadful,” said an emotional Taylor. “My heart just really goes out… many people have not found a place.”

No one was hurt in the fire but one person did have to be rescued from a second-storey balcony.