West Village tenants endure week-long power outage, Kenlar says electrical repairs ongoing

Some tenants at Kingston’s West Village complex have been without electricity for more than a week --- losing food, leaving home to shower, and relying on temporary accommodations while crews work to repair damaged electrical infrastructure.

Residents at 507 Days Road say the outage there began Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, while additional buildings in the sprawling West Village complex lost electricity several days later. By Monday, September 28, some tenants said they were entering their 10th day without power.

Jay Slaney, a West Village resident who agreed to speak with Kingstonist on the record, said his household lost the contents of their refrigerator and had to find another way to meet one of the most basic daily needs.

“We lost everything in the fridge,” Slaney told Kingstonist. “We had to get gym memberships just to shower.”

Slaney estimated that well over 20 units had been affected by the outage, although Kingstonist has not independently confirmed the total number of units without electricity.

Slaney said the electrical problems are particularly frustrating because, in his experience, they add to longstanding maintenance concerns at the complex.

“The issue with Kenlar reaches much more than just the power,” Slaney said. He alleged that there have been problems with insects and rodents in the buildings and that an emergency rear door affecting his area has remained broken for about two years despite complaints.

“These units are rough, and the landlords do nothing to correct it,” he said. “I've tried everything and reported it to everyone I can, and it always lands on deaf ears.”

Chelsea Prust, who lives at 1737 Bath Road and has lived in the West Village complex for 27 years, expressed similar frustrations.

Prust said her own unit lost power on Friday, September 25, leaving her household without electricity for four days as of Monday morning.

“We have no hot water, all our food has gone bad,” Prust wrote in an email to Kingstonist. “I feel terrible for my neighbours that have been out for longer; this is taking a toll on our mental health.”

Prust said some residents had already been without electricity for approximately 10 days.

Residents at 507 Days Road who contacted Kingstonist separately described similar conditions. In a voicemail left early Friday, September 25, one resident said power at the building had already been out for nearly a week.

“Our power at 507 Days Road has been out now since September 19th,” the resident said.

A day earlier, another resident of the same building told Kingstonist that 13 units had been without full power for six days. “Our food is all gone bad. Nobody’s helping us,” she said.

That resident said affected tenants had been offered temporary motel accommodation in Kingston’s east end, but questioned how practical the location was for families who still needed to travel across the city for work and school.

Electrical repairs require excavation

A notice issued by property owner Kenlar Investments Inc. on Saturday, September 26, said excavation work had begun and crews were working to resolve the electrical problem.

According to the notice, repairs required excavation followed by the installation of new conduits and electrical wiring. Kenlar initially told tenants it expected to complete the work and restore power by Monday, September 28.

The company also said it was working with local fire and municipal officials during the outage and had put temporary measures in place for residents. Those measures included an additional outdoor barbecue and access to shower facilities at 1733 Bath Road, Unit G58.

Kenlar also advised tenants affected by the outage that they would receive a rent abatement covering the full period they were without power.

By Monday morning, however, Prust said tenants had received a subsequent notice advising that restoration was now expected Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Prust questioned why the work had taken so long to begin, saying excavation appeared to start only after significantly more of the complex lost electricity Friday.

Concerns over property standards predate outage

For Prust, the prolonged outage comes amid a separate dispute over maintenance inside her unit.

A City of Kingston property standards order issued on September 14 identified evidence of mouse activity, damaged flooring, damaged door screens, and a front door requiring repair.

The notice gave Kenlar until October 3 to address the identified deficiencies.

Prust said she has dealt with mice since moving into her current unit in September 2025, and she alleged that earlier maintenance requests went unanswered.

She said a pest control company eventually inspected the unit after she advised Kenlar that she intended to contact the City's property standards bylaw officers.

According to Prust, the contractor later provided Kenlar with a quote for the required work, but she had not been told as of Monday whether the work had been authorized.

Prust also described a range of other concerns at the complex, including overflowing garbage areas, deteriorating outdoor surfaces, damaged playground equipment, and maintenance requests she says routinely go unanswered.

She said those conditions make the current outage feel less like an isolated failure and more like another example of what she considers a longstanding maintenance problem.

“I pay $2,300 a month, and the way this place looks is not worth it,” Prust said. “There are broken things everywhere.”

Slaney expressed much the same frustration.

For residents now dealing with days without electricity, he said the immediate consequences have included spoiled groceries and the additional expense of finding somewhere to shower.

Prust said the uncertainty over when power would return had become increasingly difficult for residents.

“It is a scary time,” she said.

Kingstonist has contacted Kenlar Investments Inc. seeking its response to the tenants’ maintenance concerns and requesting a timeline as to when Kenlar was first aware of the electrical failure, the cause of the outage, the number of affected units, the repair timeline, and the latest projected date for electricity and hot water to be restored.

Kingstonist has also sought information from the City of Kingston and Kingston Fire & Rescue regarding its involvement at the property, including questions about fire safety during the outage and the City’s existing property standards involvement.

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.