Long road ahead for Barrie residents displaced by tornado
It's been a month since the EF2 tornado ripped through southeast Barrie.
Barrie resident Christian Anderson and his young family have been confined to their living room after their home was torn apart by the tornado that produced 200 kilometre winds.
"By day 13, we finally had someone come out to assess the damage," Anderson says. "It's now been a month, and I still haven't gotten a report what the damage is to the house, if it's safe."
He admits he's better off than most. The City of Barrie says 64 homes are unsafe to live in.
Residents displaced, telling CTV News they're staying in hotels or have found somewhere else to live.
"We've settled into a rental home, so we're hoping to be back here within a year, would be nice," says Jocelyne McFarquhar, a Barrie resident displaced from her home.
As restoration crews sift through the damage, some residents who are still in their homes say they're desperate for answers.
"Following the code as it is could've meant that the 20 homes that lost their roofs would've been intact," says Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.
Fighting to ensure home builders install hurricane straps and other building code measures,McGillivray estimates the damage in Barrie will likely be more than the 2014 tornado in Angus, which saw about $35 million dollars in losses.
The city of Barrie says a total of about 110 homes have reported damage. With about a dozen permits issued for repairs to begin.
"Contractors are here, they're doing their job and homeowners I would say, under the circumstances, they're doing excellent," says Mike McCann, Barrie councillor.
Barrie resident Christian Anderson says his insurance company has had him twisting in the wind with his neighbours out of their home as he tries to get an engineer into his home to assess the damage.
"I want to see the insurance companies, all of them, step up for all of our neighbours. All of our neighbours are going through," Anderson says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.