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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Adding to the pest problem at Shaganappy and Ptarmigan Apartments, a tenant is saying she's seen ants in addition to seeing crickets in the apartments.

This cricket was captured Wednesday by a tenant at Shaganappy Apartments. Residents have been complaining about seeing and hearing the pests at both Shaganappy and Ptarmigan apartments. - Kevin Allerston/NNSL photo

"I feel disgusted. I probably have seen seven or eight (crickets) by now, and in my room," said the Aurora College student, who asked not to be named. "Also, there's ants. I'm having to kill them all the time. It's disgusting, I feel like I'm in a roach motel.

"There's about five (ants) a day and they're coming onto my nightstand," said the tenant, who has been living at Shaganappy for just over a month.

She said she doesn't feel comfortable placing a drink on the nightstand for fear that ants will crawl into it.

She said the stressful situation she is living in is making it difficult to attend school and work.

"It's not right living this way. It's not fair," she said. "Put us in a hotel room, you know? How hard is that? I'm paying them $1,350 a month and we have to deal with this."

She said she first raised the issue of the ants with Northern Properties about a week after moving into the one-bedroom apartment, and that she's taken it upon herself to set up ant traps.

"We did put out some ant traps, and it's pretty much not doing anything," she said.

Ptarmigan and Shaganappy Apartments were sprayed by an Orkin pest control person, but the tenant said she saw crickets again on Wednesday morning.

"I wouldn't say it's gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten much better," the student said.

"Really, they should just demolish the place and rebuild," she said. "I just don't like coming home and being afraid to see them, because I am scared of bugs."

Violet Viskye lives in a three-bedroom apartment at Shaganappy with her three kids, grandson, and her son's girlfriend.

Although the apartments were sprayed Monday, she said she too still sees crickets, although she hasn't noticed any ants.

"I called Northern Properties, and they said they're aware of that, and the pest controller has to come back two other times," said Viskye.

She said the situation hasn't really improved, but was told that's to be expected.

Viskye said she believes Northern Properties is taking the situation seriously, but "let's see what happens in two weeks."

She said she isn't seeing ants now but she has experienced the insects when the building was managed by Bond Street Properties.

"When it happened to me it was like the whole floor was moving, that's how many ants were in that room," Viskye said.

A pest controller was in the Ptarmigan apartment building last month in an effort to rid a tenant's suite of bedbugs.

Northern Properties declined to comment on the latest situation, except for a statement released through public relations firm Cohn & Wolfe: "Together with NPR Limited Partnership, Orkin Canada was on site yesterday to address the cricket situation.

"These common pests seek moisture, warmth and shelter and are not associated with a sanitation issue although they are a considerable annoyance to tenants. The property management is committed to resolving this issue and the tenants are being very cooperative. Following yesterday's treatment, a site assessment was conducted to determine next steps."

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