BEACHBURG — The residents of Country Haven Retirement Home in Beachburg are excited to be returning home this Friday.
The 55 residents were removed from their home on Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 following an incident at the home which saw the centre portion of the three floors of the home saturated with water.
Anil Verma, general manager of the home, said the reason for the sprinkler system going off on the third floor will most likely never be determined, even though it has been investigated.
Since the incident, the residents have been residing at Carefor Mackay House in Pembroke. Country Haven staff were transferred to the Mackay House so the residents were continually looked after, he said. However, there was much co-operation between the staff and management of the two homes, Mr. Verma added.
“We were lucky to find a place where all the residents could be together,” Mr. Verma said, noting there were two or three residents who opted to live with their families.
While the residents’ rooms were not affected, it was just not feasible for them to remain in the home while the clean-up was ongoing, which included drying out the facility and major renovations, including new floors, ceilings, drywall, painting and installing new light fixtures. Mr. Verma said damage to the facility was about $500,000.
This week, he noted the building will get a complete cleaning, including all the residents’ rooms since they have been sitting empty for two months.
It’s expected the residents will be transported starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday and should all be back in their own familiar home by noon, Mr. Verma said.
“The residents are really excited to be coming home and the staff is excited to be coming back,” he said. “Hopefully the weather will be good.”
