Kelowna resident Jim Hadgraft has died.
The well-loved man was a resident in the currently evacuated Hadgraft Wilson Place, a limited-income apartment building named after his family. Construction of the UBC Okanagan Downtown Kelowna Campus has caused ground shifting since the fall and a small handful of neighbouring buildings started to show cracks in their structures, including Hadgraft Wilson Place, which led to the evacuation.
The Hadgraft family has been involved with Pathways Abilities Society for more than two decades. Executive director Charisse Daley said Hadgraft wasn含羞草研究社檛 just a client, but also a friend.
含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 a really good guy and generous to a fault, always wanting to help others before himself.含羞草研究社�
Hadgraft, who lived with Down syndrome, is said to have died in hospital while awaiting surgery on a broken leg.
One of his neighbours, Monique Saebels, said she last spoke with Hadgraft when she had to move hotels while the residents were still evacuated. Saebels said Hadgraft was devastated to be split up from everyone in the building.
含羞草研究社淗e said, 含羞草研究社業 don含羞草研究社檛 want you to go, I don含羞草研究社檛 want you to go.含羞草研究社� I said, 含羞草研究社楯im, I have to go. They含羞草研究社檙e moving us.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
That was the last conversation Saebels had with her friend.
READ MORE: Evacuated apartments residents demand solutions from UBC, City of Kelowna
Hadgraft loved to help others, always holding the door and greeting everyone. His sister, Sue Bauman, said he took guarding the building含羞草研究社檚 mail very seriously, always worrying someone might try to steal it.
Both Saebels and Bauman said the evacuation was difficult for Hadgraft.
Bauman said her brother got confused and went back to the apartment building with his groceries. Police officers came and assisted Hadgraft in getting back to his hotel. A similar incident happened when Hadgraft was out walking and found himself lost. He asked a couple of strangers for help and they called Saebels using Hadgraft含羞草研究社檚 phone.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 think this would have happened if he had been stable and in his own home,含羞草研究社� Bauman said. 含羞草研究社淎ccidents happen all the time, but I think that the chance of it wouldn含羞草研究社檛 have been as strong. It was just too much.含羞草研究社�
Bauman praised the Ramada and the other hotels that have opened up to house the evacuated residents.
含羞草研究社淚 think the more we talk about who has stepped forward the more UBC looks like a loser.含羞草研究社�
UBC Properties Trust has resumed construction on its downtown Kelowna campus. Hadgraft Wilson Place is the fourth building to be evacuated in the area near the construction.
Saebels has been a spokesperson for the residents of Hadgraft Wilson Place since the evacuation was announced on March 31.
含羞草研究社淚f our fight was big before it含羞草研究社檚 even bigger now. We含羞草研究社檙e fighting for Jim and we含羞草研究社檙e going to fight really, really hard,含羞草研究社� she said.
Hadgraft Wilson Place residents have started a memorial for Hadgraft outside of the building. Posters and flowers have been attached to the fence blocking off access to the building.
In an email statement to Black Press, UBC Okanagan含羞草研究社檚 deputy vice-chancellor Lesley Cormack stated, 含羞草研究社淚 was deeply saddened to learn of Jim Hadgraft含羞草研究社檚 passing. As a family namesake and a centre of the community at Hadgraft-Wilson Place, we know Jim will be remembered for the kindness and care that he showed to everyone around him. I can only imagine how difficult this is for his family, friends, and the Pathways Abilities Society community. I have offered my condolences and those of UBC Okanagan on behalf of students, faculty and staff to his family at this challenging time.含羞草研究社�
READ MORE: Construction resumes on UBCO含羞草研究社檚 downtown Kelowna campus, despite evacuations
