HolidaysOctober: • 12 - Thanksgiving Day in Canada

November: • 11 - Remembrance Day

December: • December 25 - January 1 - Christmas Break

Wood Buffalo HomeQuarterly Tenant Newsletter

Vol: 8 Issue #4 Fall 2020

Tenant Satisfaction SurveyThis October we will be distributing a link to our Tenant Satisfaction Survey to all current tenants of Wood Buffalo Housing. The link will be posted on social media, on the RentCafé bulletin board, in the lobby of each building and at our administration office in the Provincial Building. The survey will be open until October 31st and there will be an option to enter a prize draw once you have completed the survey. The prize will be drawn randomly from all entries on November 4th. You can also call us at 780-799-4050 to get a link to the survey.

Office Hours:The Administration Office is open Monday –

Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. by appointment only.

RentCafé Bulletin Board and Social Media:Tired of waiting in line at the bank, or sitting on hold? Want to pay your rent, log your maintenance works orders and find out about all upcoming tenant events and promotions in one place? Then sign up for the RentCafé Resident Portal today and stay informed! It’s your one stop shop for all your Wood Buffa-lo Housing needs.You can also like us on Facebook (@WoodBuffaloHousing) or Instagram (wbhousing) and stay in-the-know on all of the latest information for WBH tenants, including promotions, contest updates, office hours, etc.

Virtual Tenant MeetingThis year, because of Covid-19 regulations, we will be unable to hold an in-person tenant meeting. We have scheduled a virtual tenant meeting to take place on October 21st, 6:00 p.m. A link to attend the meeting will be posted on the RentCafé bulletin board at least two weeks prior to the meeting, and also on social media. If you don’t have access to those channels you can contact one of our tenant services staff at 780-799-4050. We will be drawing a prize from the list of participants at the end of the meeting.

CAUTION! Watch for KidsNow that the days are

shorter and colder and the school year has begun,

please be aware of children waiting for or exiting from

school transit buses.Please drive slowly through

streets, parking lots and around playgrounds. Also watch for young children

darting out in front of cars.

Winter Tips for TenantsIt’s hard to believe Fall is already here. Pretty soon the days will be shorter and darker. Here are some

useful “winter weather smart” tips to get you safely through the colder months in Fort McMurray. Please

read, especially if you are travelling and will be away from your unit for any length of time.

• First, if you notice a draft in your apartment, please alert your Property Administrator right away so the issue can be resolved before it gets worse.

• If you are going to be away from your unit, please turn down your thermostat but do NOT turn it off. The heat will help prevent pipes from freezing. If pipes freeze and burst it can cause a lot of water damage to the property and to your possessions. Burst pipes can usually be traced back to a negligent act (leaving a window open, heat off, etc.) and it is the tenant’s responsibility to pay for any damages if this is the case. Tenant insurance is critical in this instance to protect the tenant from having to pay for the repairs directly.

• As stated in our lease agreement, the tenants must hold a current tenant insurance policy and WBH should have a copy of that insurance documentation.

• Note: The heat does not have to be kept as high as you normally would keep it if you were actually at the property, but keeping it set above 10 degrees Celsius is a good idea. This should provide enough heat to keep the pipes warm and to prevent the water inside from freezing.

• Don’t leave any windows open overnight. Again, this can lead to frozen pipes.

• Allow a faucet to drip slightly if you plan to be away from your unit. Allowing the faucet to be open like this will alleviate pressure in the system. Once a pipe freezes, it is actually pressure that is created between the blockage and the faucet that will cause the pipe to burst, so allowing the faucet to be open will prevent this pressure from building up and thus, the pipe from bursting. You do not want to let it drip too much or too long however, in case there should be a blockage.

• Keep interior doors open. Pipes are often located in cabinets, and when the temperatures drop it is a good idea to keep these cabinet doors open so that the heat from the rest of the house can keep the pipes warm as well. You should also keep all interior doors open so that the heat can flow throughout the home.

Fall Promotions • Horizon View and Edgewater Court 2-bedroom apartments – Get one month free when you sign a 12-month lease.• Meadow Creek Village 3-bedroom townhouses – now $1450 plus utilities until November 30th, a savings of $200.

Tenant Referr al ProgramAre you a current tenant of Wood

Buffalo Housing?

Do you know someone looking for

housing in Fort McMurray?

Did you know that every person that

you refer to live with us could earn

you a credit of half month’s rent if

they sign a one-year lease?

Refer up to 12 friends or family and

you could be living six-months rent

free!!

• Referring tenant must be a current

tenant and have an account in

good standing to be eligible for

the program.

• The new application at the time

of signing.

• Referring tenant will receive the

equivalent of half a month’s rent

credit applied to their account for

every new tenant they refer.

• The new tenant must sign a one-

year lease and there is a limit of

12 referrals per year, per lease

agreement.

• Some additional conditions apply.

• This promotion cannot be

combined with other promotions.

Call 780-799-4050 for more

information. Housing applications

can be downloaded at:

https://wbhousing.ca/about/

application-forms/.

Despite the recent increase in Covid-19 cases locally in the past few weeks, staff is continuing to operate out of the Provincial building. We are meeting with clients by appointment only and we have stringent hand-washing and sanitation procedures in place. We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidelines of Alberta Health throughout the fall and winter months.

Here are some things you should know about the preventative measures we have in place:

• Tenants/Clients will be seen by appointment only. Do not come to the Provincial Building unless you have made an appointment first. Only show up for your scheduled appointment time.

• Tenants will not be permitted to make an appointment unless they can answer the following questions successfully: - they do not have a cough, - they do not have a runny nose, - they do not have a fever, - they are wearing a mask to the appointment.

• Anyone who cannot satisfy those requirements will be asked to reschedule for a later date when they can. If you show up for an appointment and you are showing signs of the symptoms listed above or you are not wearing a mask, you will not be granted access to the office.

• Appointments are limited to two (2) persons per family/appointment. This includes young children attending with adults.

• Tenant Services and Maintenance staff are not permitted to enter a unit and perform maintenance unless the tenant and others residing in the household are wearing a mask. If they cannot wear a mask then they must either vacate the unit while the work is being performed or secure themselves in another room with the door closed while the work is being performed.

• When attending a viewing you will be required to wear a mask during the viewing appointment. If you arrive for the appointment and are not wearing a mask, then the appointment must be rescheduled.

Covid-19Preventative

Measures

If you have an After Hours Emergency please call

780-799-4050.

Emergency items include: No Heat • Flood Sewer backup

Please do not use this number for non-emergencies

or tenancy issues.

For police/fire/ambulance - any situation involving

immediate threat to person or property, Call 911

Boo!we aren’thome

Trick-or-Treaters: We realize that this is an unusual time and many people will not want to participate in Hallow-een festivities. Also, this is a shift work community, and many of our tenants cannot partake in trick-or-treating fes-tivities due to scheduling. In an effort to help those that

do not wish to be disturbed, or those that want as many treaters as possible, WBH will have available a Halloween door hanger that you can display to show your wishes.

The door hangers will be available at the WBH office on the 9th floor of the Provincial building (Franklin) for pickup after October 22, and it will simply say “Trick-or-Treaters Welcome” on one side or “Boo! We aren’t home” on the other to indicate to kids and parents

Trick- or -Treaters

Welcome Here

Halloween Door Hangers

Seniors DiscountWe will be offering a discount of 10% at all our affordable housing proper-ties for any residents 65 and older. This discount cannot be used by anyone already on a program or residing at one of our senior properties. We’ve revised the application to include this information: https://bit.ly/36jrFpg

Some useful external resources:McMurray All Connected (MAC) Community Calendar is a social calendar connecting the residents of Fort McMurray and surrounding area with events and activities in the community.The MAC calendar is an easy way to find any event from sporting events to hobbies and workshops to learn new skills. Search the calendar based on dates, ages or interest. There is something fun, new and excited for everyone!Visit http://mcmurrayallconnected.ca/ for a detailed list of events available in the Region.

Keyano College LINC Program: Keyano College is now open and they are accepting applications for LINC in person at the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) office with proof of immigration status and valid ID, or online: https://forms. keyano.ca/Student-Services/LINC-Application-Form LINC is a FREE English language and settlement training program, funded by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) for Permanent Residents, Convention Refugees, or Protected Persons, 18 years and older. The LINC program does continuous monthly intake.LINC classes will be ONLINE for the fall semester and the student will need:• internet access • a computer/tablet or a smartphoneOnly Permanent Residents and Convention Refugees can take LINC classes.

Contact Info:Email: english@keyano.caPhone: 780-792-5706Text: 780-598-7907Website: http://keyano.ca/LINCFacebook Page: English at Keyano College Fort McMurray