For an entire year, residents of a Greater Sudbury apartment building have been navigating their daily lives without a crucial amenity that most take for granted. The elevator at 285 Lourdes Street has remained out of service since November 2024, creating significant challenges for tenants in the multi-story building.
A Year of Daily Struggles
The elevator failure at the Northern Ontario residential building has particularly impacted elderly residents and those with mobility challenges. November 25, 2025 marks exactly one year since the elevator stopped functioning properly, forcing tenants to use stairwells for all floor access.
Many residents have described the physical strain of climbing multiple flights of stairs daily, especially when carrying groceries, laundry, or accompanying young children. The situation has created what tenants call "an accessibility crisis" within their own homes.
Ongoing Building Issues
The exterior of 285 Lourdes Street shows the aging infrastructure that may be contributing to the persistent elevator problems. Despite numerous complaints and repair requests filed over the past twelve months, tenants report minimal progress toward a permanent solution.
Several temporary fixes have been attempted throughout the year, but none have resulted in reliable, consistent elevator service. The pattern of brief functionality followed by extended outages has left residents frustrated and skeptical about promises of permanent repairs.
Community Impact and Response
The prolonged elevator outage has affected nearly every aspect of tenants' lives. Some residents with mobility limitations have reported becoming effectively housebound during certain periods, relying on neighbors for assistance with basic errands and appointments.
Local tenant advocacy groups have taken notice of the situation at 285 Lourdes Street, highlighting it as an example of the broader maintenance challenges facing rental properties in the region. The one-year milestone has sparked renewed calls for stronger enforcement of building standards and quicker resolution timelines for essential repairs.
As the situation enters its second year, tenants continue to hope for a permanent solution while adapting to the daily reality of life without elevator access in their residential building.
