The science says the land is moving, but the human side of the story is the impact that it is having on some people’s homes in the West Quesnel Land Stability area, and on their lives.
Lana Ponting has a house on Healy Street.
“Since 2008 my house has been moving and shifting and has basically been destroyed from the land stability issues. I have walls that have buckled. My foundation has pushed in, I have windows popping out, floors are heaved, my roof is sagging.”
Ponting says she and her husband feel stuck.
“We’re at a standstill. We can’t sell, we can’t rent it, we can’t abandoned it, we are basically at a standstill, we don’t know what to do any more, we’re at a loss.”
Ponting says she has went to the city and the province and no one can help.
The city did go to Emergency Management BC to see if there were any provincial programs in place to reimburse owners with significant property damage, but it was told that there was no provincial funding available.
There are approximately 750 homes in the West Quesnel Land Stability area.
How they have been impacted varies, and many have absolutely no damage from land movement.