Tenants forced to evacuate after July explosion

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When Nicole Barbier found out she'd be able to get back into her home at 2 Secord Ave. after six weeks of living in a hotel her reaction wasn't one of joy or relief, but rather she was puzzled.

"I don't see how. Because the whole outside in still in shambles," she said, trying to be heard over the machines working in the front driveway of the building.

Barbier came by the site Thursday morning, shortly after the property manager announced through the media that tenants would be allowed back home permanently this weekend. It's been six weeks since an explosion and fire forced the 900 residents of the 22-storey highrise from their apartments on the morning of July 20.

The explosion in an underground hydro vault jolted residents and ignited a fire in the highrise northwest of Danforth Avenue and Dawes Road.

Thick smoke billowed outside and filled the building, travelling through the elevator shaft and the ventilation system causing the most smoke damage to the units on the top floors. Resident were forced to flee, many with only the clothes on their back. Many sought shelter with friends or family, while more than 100 families stayed in emergency shelter provided by the city at hotels around Toronto.

Barbier has been staying in a hotel downtown.

Danny Roth, spokesperson for the property management company Preston Group, said residents will be given a $100 gift card from the building's insurance company upon their return.

"They'll also receive a cleaning kit and instructions on that," he said.

Barbier isn't interested in gifts, she doesn't want to return to her 18th floor unit.

"I have no intention of moving back anyway," she said, adding she has been in discussion to assess her legal options to get out of her lease.

During the past month residents have been allowed into their units twice to collect personal belongings and to survey the damage.

Barbier said her unit was a "disaster."

"There was soot still on the floor," she said. "There's clothes everywhere, books everywhere, my bed is broken."

When she was allowed back in, it was heartbreaking for her to see the condition of her home.

"It's reliving the whole thing over again," she said.

The media was led on a tour of some of the common areas to see the work that has been done since the building was turned over to the owners more than two weeks ago after the on-site investigation was complete. The electrical room has been rebuilt, common areas were cleaned, and fire safety equipment repaired.

"The common space, water, electricity, elevator - everything is up and running now," Roth said.

City inspectors were on site Thursday in order to make sure the building was save for occupancy before any permits were issued. Roth said the city did give them the OK to announce this weekend as the return date.

In the area where the media was allowed all signs of smoke damage and soot were gone and no smell of smoke remained. Fans were running to try to alleviate the smell of the cleaners that filled the air.

"Most people have been through their units and know what the condition is," he said.

Once the tenants are back in their homes, the property manager will go in, with the tenants permission, to clean the walls, ceiling and floors. The property inside the units are the tenants' responsibility, he said.

The basement and parking area is still being rebuilt.

"That means laundry and parking (are not accessible)," Roth said.

"We're making arrangements to ease that. We're trying to find some street parking, alternate parking."

A schedule has been laid out for the tenants return. Residents with odd numbered units are able to return on Saturday and even numbered units can be occupied on Sunday. Floors 19-23 can come between 10 a.m. and noon, floors 12-18 noon to 2 p.m., floors 6-11 2-4 p.m. and floors 1-5 4-6 p.m.

Roth did not address the cause of the explosion at the press conference.