88-year-old left without power for more than two months in Surrey trailer park

[Grapefruits]

This is just disgusting! The owner should be ashamed.

***BTW, before anyone starts busting out trailer park or Surrey jokes, just imagine if this lady was your grandmother. ***

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88-year-old left without power for more than two months in Surrey trailer park

Residents in a Surrey trailer park have been without power for two and a half months. Some people have left but for others, like 88-year-old Lillian Bailey who has lived there for 22 years, she has nowhere to go.

More than two months ago, Bailey and the other residents in the Beladean Trailer Park lost their power, heat, electricity and telephone service when a demolition worker accidentally cut the lines to the property. The owner of the property is providing gas and propane for generators, which they only gave Bailey and the residents two weeks ago.

It’s been 10 weeks without the hydro lines being fixed and with a cold snap on the way, Bailey is living in misery.

“It’s just been a terrible, terrible time not only for me but for everybody else too,” Bailey says. “It’s got people on edge, their nerves are going, I know mine is.

“I got so cold in the last two months before the generator came that even when I do get warm, I’m still shaking.”

Bailey is a retired customs officer and she says she used to love living in her RV park but since new owners took over three years ago, she’s watched it go downhill, calling it a “wasteland.”

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts calls this situation “unacceptable” and said the city’s been in touch with BC Hydro and asked the power be reconnected until some sort of relocation plan can be put in place.

“Usually with older mobile parks, there needs to be a relocation plan and obviously this owner has not done that yet,” Mayor Watts told Global News. “And the land is, yet again, up for sale. So we’ll be calling him into city hall and having a discussion with him.”

From the mayor’s perspective, it’s a situation of the residents and owner going back and forth, with the owner making assurances that hydro will be restored, and yet, they’re still powerless.

Global News reporter Randene Neill went looking for the owner of the RV park and at first, was told he wasn’t there. Trying again, Neill found the man who was telling her the owner was unavailable, was actually one of the owners.

With eight people still living on his RV park, Suvash Chander says “everything we’re doing for them,” and “we applied for BC Hydro to give them a connection” but essentially it’s “out of his hands.”

When asked if he’ll be helping the residents, in particular Bailey, relocate he said, “no, why should I do that?” Chander went on to say they’re trying to accommodate them but ultimately their hands are tied.

At this point, Chander nor the city can say when the RV park’s hydro will be reconnected but regardless, Bailey knows at 88-years-old, she’ll have to move.

“At this age, this was my home and I thought I’d die here, ” she says.

“If I was 50, I would have been able to cope with it but now, my nerves are shot.”

An online fundraiser has been started to raise $10,000 for Lillian Bailey to get a new manufactured home.

[nucklehead]

That's a good point grapefruits, I like the name Lillian for a gramma. I lost mine years ago. So how much are you chipping in?

[Lockout Casualty]

I drove through the trailer park under Patullo, and I couldn't believe people in Canada live in such conditions.

[Grapefruits]

That's a good point grapefruits, I like the name Lillian for a gramma. I lost mine years ago. So how much are you chipping in?

I gave $20, I wish I could afford more right now, but I'm unemployed and my mortgage comes first.

[Sanford]

What's the lesson here? Go to school kids and save money.

[TLindenIsGod]

I'm confused because the article uses both the terms mobile park and RV park. If it's a RV park, can't she move to another RV park without much fuss? I understand her troubles if it's a mobile park.

The article states that she has nowhere else to go as well, are there no other RV parks in the Lower Mainland?

[Grapefruits]

What's the lesson here? Go to school kids and save money.

Definitely a reminder to start saving and have a plan in place for when you get older. Unfortunately retirement plans weren't around back then for people.

[nucklehead]

I gave $20, I wish I could afford more right now, but I'm unemployed and my mortgage comes first.

well HA they saw you coming. Scroll down to the comments section and you'll see that they raised the money 3 weeks ago. You should tell them to give your money back and stop asking people for money they already have. lol

[Grapefruits]

well HA they saw you coming. Scroll down to the comments section and you'll see that they raised the money 3 weeks ago. You should tell them to give your money back and stop asking people for money they already have. lol

I scrolled down way before I donated, I also watched the full story. They could still use some additional help though.

[Armada]

Just like when she was a kid.

[Denguin]

Damn I can't imagine what it'd be like. I complain about the cold just walking the dogs around the block already...

[TOMapleLaughs]

I guess her family abandoned her, or what?

[hudson bay rules]

I guess her family abandoned her, or what?

She lives with her son.

I've read the links and nowhere does it say she's in need of money. She was quite happy there until the place changed ownership a few years ago when it started to go downhill and being in her 80's, I don't blame her for stayin' put.

[Jimayo]

The problem is too much regulation. If we didn't force them to provide a certain level of service this wouldn't have happened./lolbertarian.

[Tre Mac]

My celing flooded in my strata so for the last 2 weeks I've had to sleep im my living room right next to a open screen door without any heat, it sucks so I can imagine the ordeal she is living thru. And I am going to play the race card here and say that after seeing the interview with one of the owners, I am not surprised.

[Blackberries]

My celing flooded in my strata so for the last 2 weeks I've had to sleep im my living room right next to a open screen door without any heat, it sucks so I can imagine the ordeal she is living thru. And I am going to play the race card here and say that after seeing the interview with one of the owners, I am not surprised.

Slum lords are slum lords regardless of skin color

[mbal23]

Why not rent a basement? you can find some really cheap ones, the son should be able to afford it. instead of using the 10 grand on a new trailer.

[hudson bay rules]

Why not rent a basement? you can find some really cheap ones, the son should be able to afford it.

She's a retired customs officer. Just because she's on a 'fixed income' doesn't mean that she is struggling. Many people choose to live well below their means.

[TOMapleLaughs]

She lives with her son.

So i take it he's useless? Or did they single out the oldest person in the area to gain pathetic sympathy votes?

It's stories like these that force me to never watch local news. Just people whining about easily-solved problems that I just couldn't care less about. Every freakin' day, boo-hoo-hooing from useless people. 'Oh, that's a real shame... ...And now let's take a look at the weather.'

'But what if it was your grandma?' Well, it wasn't. And it wouldn't be, on account that her family isn't useless and neither is she.

[hudson bay rules]

So i take it he's useless? Or did they single out the oldest person in the area to gain pathetic sympathy votes?

It's stories like these that force me to never watch local news. Just people whining about easily-solved problems that I just couldn't care less about. Every freakin' day, boo-hoo-hooing from useless people. 'Oh, that's a real shame... ...And now let's take a look at the weather.'

'But what if it was your grandma?' Well, it wasn't. And it wouldn't be, on account that her family isn't useless and neither is she.

that's my guess. She's 88 so her son might be in his sixties and also retired.