Homeowner fears damage to century-old house from Elgin St. construction

Ruba Kayyali's duplex on Cartier St.

Some businesses along Elgin Street say construction along that road is impacting their livelihood but one Ottawa homeowner worries it's wrecking her heritage property on Cartier Street.

She says the earthquake-like vibrations could destroy a home that has proudly stood for more than a century. Like most homeowners, Ruba Kayyali and her husband say their house is the biggest investment of their lives.

But it's also what they call their "forever home" and now they're worried about its future.

The drywall cracks have been increasing in number in Kayyali’s house as the construction on Elgin Street ramps up.

Mechanical jackhammers and excavators are ripping up Elgin, re-doing the infrastructure and revitalizing this important strip in downtown Ottawa.

But the work is jolting Ruba Kayyali and her husband out of bed. Yesterday morning, she says, the vibrations were so strong, they rattled the furniture in her home, prompting bottles to fall off her vanity.

“Right now, it's like I’m in an earthquake zone,” she says, “My house shakes on a daily basis.”

Kayyali isn't worried about a little drywall in her house; her worries go a lot deeper than that.

“What is impacting this, what's causing all these cracks and if there is it something more structural that will impact the home.”

Their home on Cartier, about 150 metres from Elgin Street, was built in 1903 and holds significant heritage interest. Kayyali says she has learned it was one of the first meeting places of the LGBTQ activists in Ottawa in the early 60’s.   It's also their largest investment.

“It's our home and I don't know what's going to happen to it,” says a tearful Kayyali, “My husband and I put all our savings into this because it's our forever home, to live here for the next 20 or 30 years of our lives and we don't know if it will still be standing by the time this construction is done.”

In a statement, the Manager of Design and Construction, Carina Duclos said, “Vibrations experienced within the proximity of an active project site are expected. The City of Ottawa understands the inconvenience this causes to residents. The City continually monitors the levels of vibrations experienced at project sites and in surrounding areas to ensure the levels are within industry standards. Should residents have concerns related to the level of vibrations experienced near the Elgin Street project site, we ask them to contact the Elgin Street project team at [e-mail].”

The councilor for the area, Catherine McKenney, says she can understand the angst homeowner’s feel when they experience these kinds of vibrations in their homes.

“I met with staff this morning to discuss it,” says McKenney, “and I asked them to go out and offer to monitor it at that home in particular to make sure they're not exceeding guidelines for vibrations.”

McKenney says the city is also looking at the possibility of turning that whole area, the Golden Triangle, into a heritage conservation district.

“The Golden Triangle is full of very significant properties,” McKenney says, “I was surprised when I learned that it wasn’t part of that Conservation District.”

That wouldn't stop the vibrations of course but it would protect future development of those properties.