After months of anticipatory dread, power was officially shut off at the Crown Villa mobile home park in Vernon, B.C., on Friday.
The decision to disconnect what has been deemed an unsafe and hazardous electrical system was made by Technical Safety B.C., the organization that oversees high-risk technical safety systems and equipment on behalf of the provincial government.
“The action comes as a direct result of ongoing and severe electrical hazards that the property owner has repeatedly failed to address, despite multiple warnings and legal orders,” said Kate Parker, the vice president of operations at Technical Safety B.C.
“These hazards posed an immediate risk of electrical shock and fire, which could cause serious injury or death.”
She said property owners are legally responsible for maintaining their site, noting the shutdown comes after five years of warnings and notices that the park’s electrical equipment is unsafe and must be upgraded.
In December 2025, a final warning to complete repairs was issued, with a shutdown date of April 10 this year.
Parker said one of the most concerning hazards is the indoor electrical equipment that had been installed outdoors, in a deteriorating enclosure.
“It’s exposed to heat, cold, storms, animals, rodents,” she said.
Parker said the decision to shut off power was not made lightly. She said they waited until the weather warmed, knowing the outage would negatively impacts the tenants.
Lisa Anderson, who has lived at the mobile home park for more than a decade, said she watched crews turn the power off.
She said it took B.C. Hydro only a few minutes to disconnect their electricity — a simple task that has large consequences for her and the other residents.
“I’m overwhelmed, stressed, tired and I’m exhausted.”
Anderson’s home, and the 11 others at Crown Villa, are now without power, Wi-Fi and running water, since the site’s well pump runs on electricity.
“I mean, right now we’re literally camping,” said Anderson, sitting outside her mobile home.
In addition to stockpiling water to drink, bathe and flush the toilets, Anderson has outfitted her house with battery powered lights and put a sleeping bag on her son’s bed so he can stay warm at night, in the absence of heat.
“Everybody I think, is still trying to wrap their heads around this and how we’re going to continue to survive this until we do get our power back on.”
Anderson said residents are banding together during this time. Her neighbours have offered use of their camp stove and she has organized a fundraiser to pay for the repairs incase their landlord cannot.
Property owner Carol Goldstone has been fined by both Technical Safety B.C. and the Residential Tenancy Board for failing to keep the site up to code. She told CBC News she cannot afford what has been quoted at $200,000 in upgrades, nor can she afford the fines.
Goldstone lives on-site and also lost electricity in the shut down.
She and her late husband inherited the mobile park from her father 37 years ago, and since then, pad rent for the tenants has never been increased. She took over full responsibility of the park 12 years ago after her husband died.
Goldstone said some residents have difficulty paying even the meagre pad rent, and some have not paid her anything in years. The Ministry of Housing confirmed pad rent at Crown Villa remains at less than $300 per month.
Goldstone is now in the process of selling at least half of the property ownership to an investor who knew her husband, and alleges they will pay for the electrical upgrades to keep the residents on-site. She said unfortunately, that process could take several weeks.
