A Winnipeg woman says a cockroach infestation has forced her and her four children to leave their Manitoba Housing apartment. "It isn't a situation that anyone should be living with, especially with young kids. It's a health hazard you can smell," said Candace Sinclair. When the Sinclair family first moved into their Fife Street apartment in 2019, everything seemed alright. A quick pre-move inspection indicated everything was okay, but only weeks later, the telltale signs of smaller unwelcome tenants became evident. “So we called Manitoba Housing and told them we have activity of bugs and we had a mouse in here,” said Sinclair. Manitoba Housing dealt with the rodent issue, but with no visible evidence of bugs, that concern was not addressed. As the weeks passed, the infestation grew. Sinclair said she could see the bugs in the cupboards, on the floor, and along the walls. This time Manitoba Housing sprayed the unit, but with small children in the home and Sinclair being pregnant at the time, prepping the apartment for fumigation was no small task. Furniture had to be moved and cupboards emptied. In a statement to CTV News Winnipeg, Manitoba Housing said tenant compliance with treatments and the in-between cleaning requirements are essential to assist with the pest eradication efforts. The process became a regular occurrence for both Sinclair and other families living in the complex but things came to a head in December. Sinclair said her apartment was not ready for the December treatment due to short notice from Manitoba Housing. The result was the apartment’s bug treatment being skipped. Manitoba Housing said tenants receive advance notice as per residential tenancy board requirements, and if the units are prepared properly, the process is very successful. “The point where the bugs were coming out of the table, by the leaf of my table, it was hollow on the bottom and they just came out… that was the last straw for me,” said Sinclair. She took herself and her kids to a shelter but that stay was short-lived because her situation didn’t meet the criteria for leaving a violent or abusive situation. A couple of days later, she found herself staying with a family friend. Now she is hopeful a lead on a new rental will work out but is left without furniture, because it was all thrown out because of the infestation. “This situation has to be dealt with. People have to be moved out of here and I think they got to shut this area, this development down,” said Sinclair. Manitoba Housing said treatment in all affected units will continue until there is no more activity and that all tenants that report activity will get their units treated.
