IRAC throws out appeal by Charlottetown tenant evicted for Lions Club parking

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has thrown out the appeal of a tenant being evicted from her Charlottetown home.

IRAC had also sided with the landlord — the Parkdale Sherwood Lions Club — after the initial hearing a few months ago.

Tenant Lindsay Cameron had already lined up a new apartment by the time she appealed her eviction before IRAC. 

The Lions Club was evicting her and the occupant of another home it owned on Connolly Street. 
It intends to demolish the two buildings to make way for parking.

"We hope that it's understood that making this decision was not easy for the club. We feel strongly that it was the right decision for the club," said Barry Stewart, property manager for the Parkdale Sherwood Lions Club.

"We fully understand the housing situation in P.E.I. and that is why we have a tender now for a 32-unit seniors complex to be built next to our existing 30 unit that we've operated for the last 40 years"

The next steps for the Lions Club is to get a final quote on what the demolition will cost, Stewart said. Once they secure that quote they need a permit from the city to tear the buildings down and put a parking lot in their place. The hope is to do it "as soon as possible," Stewart said.

IRAC issued a written ruling on the appeal on Friday.

"It is improper for Ms. Cameron and her counsel to waste the time of both the Commission and the Lions Club in what appears to be a mere attempt to publicly shame her former landlord," the decision read.

The regulatory board also ordered Cameron to pay the rent she owed the Lions Club for the month of June.

Cameron said she is sad to lose the appeal, but in a text to CBC News she said she is "not surprised at this point with either the Lions or IRAC."

Cameron has told the Lions Club she will be out of the unit by Thursday, June 30, Stewart said.