Dale and Paula Brunkard don’t want to leave, but along with 19 of their neighbours living atop the shoreline at Meneset on the Lake near Goderich, Ont. they have been told their homes sit on unstable ground, and should be moved.
Shocked and skeptical, the group of 20 homeowners hired their own engineering firm to find out if they were in danger.
The residents say the report suggests they are safe.
But Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities, the company that owns the land the Meneset on the Lake retirement community sits on, and leases it to folks like the Brunkard’s, disagrees.
They say their own engineering reports, along with forecasts and studies from the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority suggest parts of the Lake Huron shoreline bluff are in imminent danger of failure.
Which is why they want their shoreline residents to move off the bluff.
A recent decision from the Landlord and Tenant Board says Parkbridge cannot force the residents to move, which has set in motion months of tension at the retirement community.
In Part Two: The conservation authority says it’s a matter of when, not if, parts of the shoreline bluff will come crashing down.
An aerial view of Meneset on the Lake near Goderich, Ont. shows areas where erosion is a concern.
