Water brings down roof

A partially collapsed roof at a southwest apartment complex forced roughly 20 people into hotel rooms Sunday afternoon.
The man who called the fire department to the 500 block of 15 Ave SW refused to use his name for fear of reprisal from the building’s owner, who he said has already threatened to sue for calling the fire department, went to his mother’s apartment just after lunch only to see her ceiling had sunk two feet under the weight of soaked timbers and crumbling drywall.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he said, noting that roughly five tons of water was flushed from the building’s roof by the fire department. “I was shocked, water was leaking in and I called the fire department because it was a dangerous situation and I was concerned for everyone’s safety.”
A man who claimed to be one of the building’s owners, also refusing to give his name, said repairs to all or part of the roof were supposed to begin Saturday on the four-storey 15 Ave SW apartment complex, but that work was put off until Monday due to an unavailability of workers.
The man also said the roof had been an “off and on” problem for some time, but refuted the fire department’s claim that a lack of roof maintenance was reported as a factor in the collapse.
“My answer to you is it’s all under control,” he said, just prior to invoking his no comment right and kicking Metro out of the building. “It’s tough to find a place in Calgary and we do what we can.”
No injuries were reported.
–neil.mackinnon@metronews.ca