Leamington, Ont. woman left without natural gas in home for about two months
A Leamington woman has been without natural gas in her home since Thanksgiving.
Glenna Lane's son and grandson first smelled something strange after leaving her home on Oct. 14. A call to Enbridge Gas resulted in the line to her home being turned off, after it was later confirmed that the gas line under her driveway had a leak.
"Right now, I have no gas, no hot water, no dryer," she said.
Her baths consist of heating up water in a coffee pot and mixing in cold water so she can enter the tub. At 81, that's not an easy feat.
"I have a little heater in the basement blowing on the wall where the water pipe comes into the house. I have two electric heaters here and my electric fireplace and my wood fireplace," she said.
Her grandson brings her wood to burn, but going outside to retrieve firewood is also difficult.
Lane said the gas line that runs to her home spans approximately 120 metres. In the eight weeks since the gas was turned off, she now has a trench with a pipe in it, where a meter is supposed to go in.
Aecon workers aren't expected to drop by her home until Dec. 23, Lane said.
"We had to shut off that gas to ensure her safety. Now we understand that this is a concerning situation and we are working directly with Glenna and we'll fix the issue as quickly as we can," said Brian Chauvin, Enbridge's operations manager for Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.
Chauvin added that there are complications with the repair, because the line is under Lane's driveway and is a long distance from the main gas line to her home.
"We've ensured that she does have electric heat to provide warmth while the gas is off. At the end of the day, her safety is our priority, so we're working very quickly to correct this situation," Chauvin said.
Lane would have to pay for the repair to her home, but Chauvin added that Enbridge would work with her to "ensure it's beneficial" on her side as well.
"We will work with Glenda to ensure that she's able to have meals and accommodations if necessary as well," Chauvin said Wednesday afternoon.
Chauvin initially said he was unable to provide a timeline for when Lane's gas would be running again.
After this story was first reported by CBC News early Thursday morning, Lane said officials with Enbridge informed her the gas would be turned back on this Monday.
