Meadowview residents raise concerns with difficult tenants

Publihed by: The Manitoulin Expositor
Author: Tom Sasvari
April 1, 2026

When ‘duty to accommodate’ and mixed housing collide

MINDEMOYA—The Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (MSDSB) has noted that measures are in place to provide emergency services to Meadowview Apartments in Mindemoya while maintaining tenant safety after a recent false fire alarm that left residents outside in the early morning hours of March 21. It also raised concerns from a resident, asking why no action is being taken against the person responsible for this and other disruptions to keep this from happening again. 

“For after-hours emergencies, tenants can reach us through our after-hours emergency line, which is provided to all tenants. We also want to reassure residents and the public that a clear process is in place to provide emergency services with access to the building when required, to support timely response and maintain tenant safety. We appreciate the cooperation of tenants during the alarm and thank emergency responders for their assistance,” wrote Lori Clark, director of integrated human services with MSDSB. “Last week, a fire alarm was activated at 29 Nixon Street in Mindemoya. Emergency services responded promptly, and the alarm was determined to be false. There were no reported injuries, and the safety of tenants and responders remains our priority,” said Ms. Clark. “We recognize that alarms can be disruptive and may cause concern.”

A long-time resident of Meadowview, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Expositor, “The main fire alarm in the upstairs hall at 29 Nixon Street in Mindemoya, aka Meadowview Apartments, was pulled at around 1:30 am in the early morning hours of March 21.” Everyone had to evacuate the building. This main alarm exceeds 130 decibels and sounds frightening! We all gathered outside, trying to put together what was happening. Some of us walked to the back of the building and out to the street for any evidence of smoke. At the same time, we did a head count and felt concerned as several people had not evacuated the complex. We could not see any problems and guessed that someone had pulled the main fire alarm in the hall without a reason.”

“The fire department arrived in 15 minutes with two trucks and a crew of four or five people. They could not access the main key to the building; it is a master key that opens all the units. It is their protocol that all apartments in the building must be checked before tenants can re-enter. This took an hour and 15 minutes while tenants gathered outside, some in slippers, all of us feeling anxious. We discussed how dangerous it is to have no alternate escape routes from our apartment as back and sidewalk ways are not cleared. Currently, apartments have three or four feet of clear patio space in our back exits surrounded by hard crusted snow a metre high. One neighbour commented, ‘How would the fire department even get to us?’”

“It is surmised by many tenants that someone living in this building pulled the alarm,” continued the resident. “Meadowview has a guarded entry and it was general consensus that another tenant here had pulled the alarm. There is also agreement among many (of the residents) about the main suspect. Folks here are angry about tenants who are known to police and yet continue to live here. Many affirm that complaints to MSDSB fall on deaf ears.”

The tenant said a senior and long-time tenant here met the person assumed to have pulled the alarm in the hall with the latter expressing paranoia and appearing to be high, stating that ‘people were after her.’ 

“When I arrived outside this resident said to me, ‘I just called the OPP, my father is an OPP officer, and they will be here right away.’ I noted that this person of interest spent a lot of time speaking to one of the firefighters,” the tenant said, noting the same thing happened in the summer of 2024 when the main fire alarm was pulled. “This same person was alleged to have pulled that alarm at that same time. There were no charges laid and no investigation then.”

“I phoned the OPP in Little Current around 10:30 am on Saturday morning, March 21 and spoke with a constable who explained the OPP was aware of the situation as the fire department (Central Manitoulin) had made contact with them,” the resident continued. “This officer said only the fire department can lead an investigation or lay charges. As he explained further, the suspect in pulling the alarm is well known to police and has mental health as well as addiction issues and unfortunately their hands are tied. He was reassuring and expressed how frustrating the situation must be.”

The tenant explained they had brief conversations with some tenants the next morning noting an upstairs tenant who recently recovered from cancer treatment was stressed and not able to sleep. “She is a client with Manitoulin Community Living (CLM) as are five of the tenants affected by this fire alarm. Another neighbour on the ground floor, could feel his blood pressure was high and at four am he had tingling in his fingers and could not sleep, while another tenant thought he might have to call an ambulance. There was nowhere to sit outside the building and standing an hour-and-a-half outside made him lose his balance consequently he had trouble walking. Another person, recovering from hip replacement surgery and a cancer patient, had to make it downstairs with his walker about 10 steps. This gives you an idea of how distressing this false alarm at 1 am in the early morning is on folks who live here.”

“Long-time residents here are angry and stressed about the incapacity of MSDSB to make changes about dangerous people being able to rent here or stay for prolonged visits. MSDSB turns a blind eye to all of this,” continued the resident. “Tina Legault is the social worker here and a liaison between MSDSB housing clients and mental health on Manitoulin as well as Espanola. She is highly qualified and compassionate but has limited power, in terms of qualifying who can get tenancy here. Moreover, her main function is to assist folks here, even those with substances abuse issues etc. and police involvement, to keep them housed. This results in a zero or minimal eviction rate. Many of the tenants here are incapable or defiant about following the lease or the law. And, when there are never any consequences who would they?”

“There is a very interesting ethical question presented here: why do the rights of people with mental health issues and substance dependencies supersede the rights of other tenants here? Why are folks who are neuro-divergent allowed to break lease agreements as well as the law? Where does compassion end and enabling begin?” the resident queried.

Ms. Clark explained, “The (MSDSB) provides community housing to community members with varying needs. The safety of our tenants has always been a top priority for us and is something we take very seriously. There is a formal complaint process in place for all tenants to follow when they are experiencing issues in our buildings and we encourage all tenants to notify us directly when they have concerns, so that we may address them.”

“Under the Housing Services Act, 2011, the District Services Board has a clear mandate as service manager to provide housing assistance to those in need, including individuals experiencing mental health challenges, substance use issues, and other vulnerabilities. This legislation requires that access to housing be administered in a manner that is fair, non-discriminatory, and consistent with the Ontario Human Rights code. As such, tenancy decisions cannot be based on a person’s health status, disability, or perceived risk alone.”

“At the same time, the DSB has an obligation to ensure the reasonable enjoyment and safety of all tenants,” continued Ms. Clark. “Lease agreements remain in place, and tenants are expected to comply with both their lease terms and applicable laws. Where behaviours present risks, these are taken seriously and addressed through appropriate processes. This may include warnings, involvement of support services, and where necessary, escalation through enforcement with the Landlord and Tenant Board.”

“It is important to note that eviction is considered a last resort,” wrote Ms. Clark. “The legislative framework emphasizes housing stability, recognizing that eviction, particularly for vulnerable individuals, can lead to homelessness and increased risk to both the individual and the broader community. As a result, there is a strong focus on intervention, support, and collaboration with community partners to stabilize tenancies wherever possible.”

“In situations involving repeated or high-risk behaviours, the DSB works with tenants, support agencies and, where appropriate, enforcement partners to address the issue in a measured and legally compliant way. While consequences may not always be immediately visible to other tenants, actions are taken within the constraints of privacy legislation and due process requirements,” continued Ms. Clark. “We will continue to work with available supports and partners to address concerns where possible, while balancing the rights and responsibilities of all tenants.”

Phil Gosse, Central Manitoulin Fire Department Fire Chief said the issue with the fire department not having a special code to access the building has been resolved. He explained after undergoing a check of the building when the firefighters arrived it was found there was no smoke and it was found that someone had pulled the alarm. “If there had been a fire and it was an emergency we would have taken different measures—one way or the other we would have got into the building.” He pointed out there were no injuries and no one in the building was in harms way.  

Mr. Gosse noted the fire department responds to all fire alarms whether it turns out there is a fire or not, and the fire department gets false fire alarm calls from Meadowview, CLM and Mindemoya Hospital several times during the year (in total). “We do not get complacent; we respond to all fire calls.” 

“I called the OPP (on the night of the false alarm) as part of my responsibilities and reported that everyone was okay and the residents were safe,” said Mr. Gosse. He said the fire department reports to the municipality and said as well the fire department does not have authority to lay any charges for false alarms.