London, Ont. girl with disabilities unable to leave high rise apartment

Nine-year-old Jalexa Elijah has spent a fair amount of time staring out the patio door of her 10th floor apartment.

For eight days, it has been her only window to the outside world, as Jalexa utilizes a wheelchair for mobility.

The grade four student has missed school since both elevators in her 11-storey apartment building at 625 Kipps Ln. in London went offline.

“Usually, we have chances to go outside to go for a walk or movie, different stuff,” Jalexa said.

The elevators went out on Oct. 5. At first, her mother, Jessica Edgar, was understanding, but her patience is growing thin after days of failed promises that the elevators would be fixed.

“Now it has just become very frustrating. They keep telling us the next, the next day. Like how much longer are they going to say, ‘The next day?’” she said.

Jalexa Elijah is seen with her mother Jessica and her brother Jaxen in London, Ont. on Oct. 13, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

Jessica said her family is not the only one struggling, as a neighbour battling a knee problem rented a hotel at his own expense after being unable to climb the stairs.

He is not alone.

“There are people on all floors that are struggling, and they aren’t doing anything about it,” Jessica said.

CTV News London visited the on-site management office of Medallion Properties, the owner of the building, and were referred to the head office in Toronto.

A memo to residents posted inside 625 Kipps Ln. in London, Ont. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

In public postings and emails CTV News has obtained, Medallion said the elevators were shut off for emergency repairs.

The company stated in one email to a tenant, “This elevator outage was not planned," and added the situation is “unavoidable and not a result of Medallion’s negligence.”

CTV News witnessed an elevator contractor on site Friday, and also noted several coils of new metal cabling stacked on the 10th floor in front of the elevators.

It was not immediately clear if they related to the repair project.

Jalexa Elijah is seen at the entrance to the staircase on the 10th floor of her London, Ont. apartment on Oct. 13, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

Regardless, Jessica believes Medallion should step up to help her family and others in the building with mobility problems. She suggested paid accessible hotel rooms until the repairs are complete.

If that cannot be done, she wants a stepped-up effort to repair her daughter's only way in and out of her home.

“They should have one (elevator) at least, for the kids and the elderly. It’s not right,” Jessica said.

Jalexa wants assurances both elevators will never fail at the same time again.

“They should check everything. And see if anything might be broken. Then fix it, and maybe it will last longer,” she said. 

625 Kipps Ln. in London, Ont., as seen on Oct. 13, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV London)

A STATEMENT FROM THE PROPERTY’S MANAGEMENT:

A statement regarding the elevator situation at Blossom Gate was emailed to CTV London Friday.

On behalf of George Espinola, Director Residential Property Management, the statement read, “Medallion Corporation contracts with Schindler Elevators and Escalators to provide service, which includes monthly inspections. Without prior notice, Schindler shut down both elevators at Blossom Gate, 625 Kipps Lane. This was an unexpected development as both elevators had been operational with no prior notice of concerns.”

The statement continued, “The usual practice is to do maintenance on one elevator at a time, keeping the other one available for resident use.”

“While Medallion regrets this unfortunate development and empathizes with the hardship this situation has caused residents, we are pleased that Schindler has informed us that one of the elevators is expected to be operational today (Friday). The other one is expected to be functional within the next few days,” the statement concluded.