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Riverview Lodge fumigated

A battle against bedbugs in the Riverview Lodge seniors building went ahead as planned on Aug. 23.

The residents left on the morning of that day and Orkin Canada fumigated the NWT Housing Corporation building, which contains 16 apartments – five of which were infested with bedbugs.

An Orkin Canada pest control truck was parked outside Riverview Lodge on Aug. 23 as the seniors housing was fumigated for an infestation of bedbugs. Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

The residents started moving back in the late afternoon on Aug. 24.

Timothee Caisse, a resident of the building, said the Orkin Canada workers arrived on the morning of Aug. 23 dressed in white protective suits.

"The full nine yards," he said.

The residents were given an hour and a half to vacate the apartments, Caisse added. "We expected it, which was fine."

However, he was not pleased with the temporary accommodations to which he was moved.

The accommodations were arranged by the local housing authority in Hay River.

Caisse said the two-bedroom house, which he shared with another Riverview Lodge resident, was not ready for anyone to occupy.

"There wasn't even a chair or a table," he said. "There were two army cots downstairs, one in each bedroom, with no sheets, no pillows, no nothing. Nothing in the kitchen – no utensils. Not even a toaster, no coffee pot, nothing."

After he called the housing authority to complain, Caisse said an employee came to the house and made up the two cots with sheets, pillows and quilts.

Plus, two lawn chairs and a picnic table were also brought to the house, he said. "And that was it."

Caisse said there was nothing else in the house, not even toilet paper, and he had to buy some supplies for the night.

Several other Riverview Lodge residents were also moved to temporary accommodations in another house.

The rest of the residents stayed with relatives or friends.

As of Aug. 24, there was no response from the NWT Housing Corporation to a Hub request for information on the fumigation and the temporary accommodations for some residents of Riverview Lodge.

There was no official word on the effectiveness of the fumigation.