More than 24 hours after their driveway disappeared, Esquimalt evacuees are still wondering when or if they can go home.
“Yeah, I’m worried,” Wally Underwood, who has lived at the 656 Admirals Rd. apartment building for four years.
“People are stressed and concerned,” said a resident who gave her name as Niv.
“Me and another resident are at a hotel last night and tonight, and we are trying to get some more information today about staying further because we have absolutely no idea what’s going on.”
The construction site next door is thought to be the cause of the collapse. Residents say they’d been drilling reinforcing beams horizontally towards their building, seeing cracks in the pavement starting around a week ago.
“I don’t think this project was well planned, it seems very rushed. Just the speed at which they were doing the project is concerning,” said Niv.
On Wednesday, construction was back on at the site, with the side that had sloughed away significantly shored up by the developer.
The structural integrity of one building, however, is still up in the air.
“I think it is encouraging news because they’ve been allowed in to fortify what’s occurred, but until we get the geotechnical report, we can’t say how long this will be,” said Esquimalt Mayor Barbara Desjardins.
Residents of one apartment building evacuated Tuesday morning have been given the green light to return home. Fifteen people from the apartment building on Admirals remain still displaced.
Esquimalt’s emergency services are providing meals at Archie Browning Centre and hotel rooms for now, but that short-term support is set to expire Thursday morning.
“We’re working with the province at this point to look at if this is prolonged for any length of time, what are the next steps for helping these people,” said Desjardins.
For now, residents can do nothing but wait, stuck through no fault of their own out of their homes after the roadway outside their building just fell away.
“Last few days have been pretty hectic having to play the waiting game,” said Underwood.
Kori Sidaway
