Blasting shakes Middleton homes

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - May 07, 2008

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SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE occurred to Shelley Look’s house, where a rock came right through her roof due to blasting on Middleton Mountain.

submitted photo

A Vernon neighbourhood has been left reeling after construction blasting damaged their homes and yards.

Significant damage was done to at least two residences on Mt. Bulman Place after blasting at a nearby construction site sent a shower of rocks flying Friday afternoon.

“You think you are safe in your home and then this happens. It’s quite distressing,” said Christine Hildebrandt, whose house was among those damaged.

Flying debris smashed the French doors and one rock was sent right through a wall and into her son’s bedroom.

“There are eight or nine spots where rocks hit the siding and broke the siding. They also dug into the lawn,” said Hildebrandt.

“We are worried about whether there is any structural damage we can’t see.”

Hildebrandt was not home at the time, but her son was there 20 minutes prior to the blasting.

“I shudder to think what could have happened had he not left,” she said.

Next door, Shelley Look found a hole in her roof from a rock.

“There was ceiling insulation and debris everywhere,” said Look, who was home at the time of the blasting but was sleeping.

With construction a common activity on Middleton Mountain, blasting is a regular occurrence.

“They had notified us a few times but not as much as they blast. This time, we weren’t warned at all,” said Look.

Both Look and Hildebrandt are waiting for repairs to be done on their homes, and to have insurance claims processed.

The blasting Friday was done by T&A Drilling and Blasting of Kelowna.

“There was an error in judgment and we should have had mats on it,” said owner Mike Witham.

Mats are 8,000-pound blankets that hold down rock.

Witham says the closest the blasting was to properties was 250 feet, and blasting procedures were followed, including sirens, sweeping the area and notifying properties.

“Safety for the public is our number 1 concern but we are blasting, and like anything, not everything goes right,” he said.

“We feel really bad. The blaster feels really bad and is pretty shaken about it.”

City of Vernon officials were on site shortly after the incident Friday afternoon.

“We go get involved especially when public safety is an issue,” said Rob Dickinson, manager of engineering services.

The city can’t withdraw blasting permits, but there is some action it can take.

“We can give a stop-work order until their engineer is on site. We want assurances that it’s a safe site,” said Dickinson.

Work Safe B.C. has also been contacted about the incident.

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Blasting shakes Middleton homes

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