Hadgraft Wilson Place has been empty since April 2024/Kelowna10 app

By Vernon Matters Staff

finding a solution

Task force on Hadgraft Wilson Place ‘an exciting development’: Pathways Abilities Society

Mar 31, 2025 | 2:28 PM

The executive director of Hadgraft Wilson Place, the five-storey apartment block damaged and then hastily evacuated a year ago in the downtown, says he’s excited by the creation of a task force aimed at finding a solution.

Alan Clay with Pathways Abilities Society says it’s a complicated issue but all options are being explored.

He could not comment if that involved remediation to the existing damaged building, a new build, or even acquiring space in the yet-to-be-built new UBCO Tower.

Alan Clay is executive director of Pathways Abilities Society/website

His organization, UBCO Properties Trust, and the city, have suggested their newly created task force will have more to report in the weeks to come.

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Hadgraft Wilson Place was emptied after excavation work on the new UBCO Tower next door caused damage to the structure and forced the evacuation in April last year. Eighty-four tenants were displaced.

Clay said it was difficult for the residents who initially found emergency or temporary accommodation and have now been dispersed across the city at various locations.

“It’s been a challenging year for them, no question, they had started building community. Some of them thought [Hadgraft Wilson Place] was going to be their forever home,” Clay said. ” It’s been a year of uncertainty.”

The six-person task force on coming up with a solution was announced Friday.