Residents at Angus seniors complex wonder why elevator took 2 months to fix

A broken elevator at an Angus seniors complex is finally back up and running, but residents are asking why it took so long to fix.

Nearly a dozen Angus Gardens tenants, many of whom struggle with mobility, told CTV News last month that the building's elevator shut down in early June for repairs, but no progress was made.

But now, CTV News has learned the elevator at Angus Gardens is back in commission.

"A lady down the hall came to my door and hollered she said Betty the elevator is working and I said did you try it and she said, oh yeah, so it's good to have it back," said Betty Crawford, a resident.

"It was terrible not having it. It was like taking your left leg and cutting it off," said Wayne Buchanan, another person living in the building.

According to the elevator company, Elevator One, technicians discovered that the hydronic cylinder was leaking in early June, which required them to order new custom parts from Quebec.

"We can't go to Home Depot and pick them up," said Roland Huber, Vice President. "One of the things I didn't realize that our supplier informed us is that 25 percent of the world's tube steel which is used to make cylinders was made in apart in a place called Mariupol Ukraine, which we all heard about when the Russians were bombing that particular site."

Huber said supply shortages could have led to longer delays if residents at the complex weren't prioritized.

"That's one of the reasons why our supplier bumped it forward in its production as quickly as they could," Huber added. "The TSSA arranged an inspection within a day or so if it being done."

While residents were thrilled, many said they hoped the problem could be prevented in the future.