Insurers of the devastated Griffintown housing co-op in Montreal, partly demolished last week after being severely damaged by construction of some nearby condos, have opened discussion with officials of the devastated co-op ending fears that the co-op’s claim would be denied.
The19th-century buildings housing the Coopérative d'Habitation Ste-Anne were declared unsafe by fire department officials who said the structures were on the verge of collapse, apparently due to soil shifting beneath the foundation as a result of excavation work on the condo project. Residents lost all their belongings as they were not permitted to go inside to retrieve personal items as the building was considered unsafe to enter.
Days after the co-op was bought down, officials expressed concern that insurer, La Souveraine, wouldn't pay.
However Guylaine Mayer, Co-operative d'habitation Sainte-Anne president said last week she had been contacted by the insurer who had ‘opened the door’ to a claim.
"It would appear to be the start of an agreement," she told one media outlet.
