Two years after the devastating McDougall Creek fire burned down the majority of Lake Okanagan Resort, displaced residents struggle to rebuild as red tape delays recovery.
Heather Ormiston called her second-floor condo unit, overlooking Okanagan Lake, her retirement plan. Now, all that remains of Ormiston’s condo is a barren patch of rocks and gravel.
“It was an investment property — every dollar of our savings went into buying this for our future,” said Ormiston.
The fire destroyed 90 per cent of the resort, and dozens of displaced residents, including Ormiston, are still stuck in limbo. Unable to begin rebuilding, they face red tape that has kept them from moving forward.
Maria Hart, another condo owner, says, “It’s so frustrating. We’re still paying condo fees and taxes, some people are paying mortgages, and we don’t have a home we’re paying for. We have so much money tied up in that.”
The stalled recovery is taking a financial and emotional toll on the residents.
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If the stalemate continues, the BC Homeowners Condominium Association warns the dispute could end up in court.
“After a year it usually means the parties affected will have to go into court to either get the courts to order the repairs to resolve this problem,” said Executive Director of the BC Condominiums Association, Tony Gioventu.
Frustrated by the lack of action, Ormiston questions why the government isn’t stepping in to force the resort owners to restore utilities.
“For the government to push us into litigating over something they should be enforcing is despicable,” she says.
But BC’s housing minister, Ravi Kahlon, says the province’s hands are tied, calling it a private matter.
“We actually don’t have any ability to compel the owners to comply with the strata council. We’ve recommended that the individuals impacted will need to resolve this through the courts,” said Kahlon.
Lake Okanagan Resort was purchased by a buyer from China in 2014, and the current owners did not respond to a request for comment.
Kahlon adds, “In this case, an overseas owner has control, and we don’t have the ability to intervene from the province.”
As the residents continue to wait, they are left with more questions than answers, wondering if they will ever see the support they need to rebuild their homes and their futures.
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