A broken elevator has made life difficult for hundreds of South Asian seniors who frequent the Surrey-Delta Indo Canadian Seniors Society building, off 120 Street in Surrey.
The elevator has been inoperable for close to two years. It’s impossible for some seniors to negotiate the steep flight of stairs to the second floor, and a real struggle for others.
“We tried everything to fix it (the elevator), but nothing worked,” said Devinder K. Johal, who helps operate the building as a committee member.
“Some ladies, they are walking with the walker or they are in a wheelchair. Even myself, getting up the stairs, I get out of breath. I’m 84. When we have some functions, then we have quite a bit of stuff to bring up here, food and tea. We really need the elevator.”
A new lift is on the way thanks to $140,000 in provincial funding announced Thursday (Aug. 24) by Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
However, the elevator replacement work won’t be completed for several months — not until April, according to the government estimate.
Some social activities for 600 members of the society are offered on the upper floor of the building, including meditation, meals and cultural programs.
The elevator replacement “will not only improve the seniors’ access to food, but also enhance their overall quality of life by enabling them to participate in various activities and programs at the centre,” according to Harpal Singh Brar, president of the society.
On Thursday, Surrey-area MLAs Harry Bains (Newton), Garry Begg (Guildford) and Jinny Sims (Panorama) joined Malcolmson on the second floor of the building, in a room full of women, mostly.
“Typically the men are downstairs, but it’s not segregated for any reason,” Sims noted.
“The women meet here all the time, usually over 200 up here,” she added. “They do their celebrations together, and everything has to be carried up those stairs, and it’s not easy for them. They really, really struggle. I worry some of them are going to fall down because they’re trying to carry up the tea and all the snacks, plates of food.”
Johal has been involved in the society for almost 25 years, after moving to the Surrey/Delta area in 1996.
“The building has been here for a long time, since the 1970s, I think,” she said. “Upstairs, Thursday is reserved for us, the women. But other than that, sometimes the men get together upstairs. Men have their things to talk about and ladies have different interests sometimes.”
Located east of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, the seniors’ facility is located steps from the parking lot where temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed June 18. Two shooting suspects are still at large.
“The murder was in the evening at that gate, right there,” Johal said. “There were some people sitting there outside, and then they heard the shots, and they were shocked. They saw two people running away.”
Bains said his heart goes out to the family and friends of Nijjar, and also to members of the congregation.
“It’s been a very difficult time this society went through, this community, and the police are investigating,” Bains said. “I will leave it to the police to do their job, and hopefully justice will be served.”
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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