Betty Field (right) wants to keep storing her bicycle under a stairwell at an apartment complex on Macassa Avenue owned by City Housing. Ms. Field along with City Housing tenants Elaine France and Eric Neil, say there are no elevators in the two storey buildings and second floor tenants find it difficult if not impossible to lug their bicycles or scooters upstairs to their units. Earlier this month City Housing informed the tenants that due to fire code regulations all items must be removed from the stairwells or they will be discarded.

Betty Field loves to ride her bicycle. For the past year the 74-year-old, who lives on the second floor of a City Housing Hamilton apartment building at 76 Macassa Avenue, has been riding her bike to get groceries and run errands.

"I've had cancer twice and I'm trying to keep healthy," said Ms. Field, who gets out once or twice a week in the winter and just about every day during the warmer weather. "My doctor keeps telling me to get plenty of exercise."

The building Ms. Field lives in does not have an elevator and rather than lugging her bicycles (she has two of them) up and down the stairs she has been storing her bike under the ground floor stairwell near the front entrance.

Earlier this month, Ms. Field and tenants who dwell in similar geared to income two storey City Housing buildings at 68, 70, 78, 88 and 90 Macassa received a notice that due fire code requirements, all stairwells must be free of obstructions. The letter states all items must be removed by March 15 or they will de discarded. That deadline has since been extended to March 22.

It also means Ms. Field's bicycle and a few electric scooters that some second floor residents use to get around will have to go.

"This is a fire department direction," said Pat Finnerty, property manager with City Housing.

While she agrees the stairwells should remain clear of non mobility-related items such as chairs and plants, Ms. Field said there is no other storage available for the tenants and she can't see herself carrying her bicycle up and down the stairs each time she wishes to go out.

"It's still a heavy piece for me to lift," said Ms. Field, who noted the bike will be even more difficult to shift if the rear basket is full of groceries. "I'm not pleased."

Ms. Field pointed out her bicycle is not blocking anything when it is snugged in underneath the stairs.

Bennett Arsenault, 77, lives in the building next door at 68 Macassa and relies on an electric scooter to get around.

Like Ms. Field, he lives on the second floor of a two storey building with no elevator and has been storing his scooter under the ground floor stairwell.

"I can't carry it upstairs," said Mr. Arsenault, who noted he's had a heart attack and suffered from an ulcer in the past.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Mr. Arsenault said. "As long as I can leave it (under the stairwell), I'm fine."

Eric Neil has been living at 78 Macassa for the past three years is also an avid bicycle rider. The second floor tenant vows to keep storing his bicycle under the ground floor stairwell.

"No way am I going to start dragging that bike up and down the stairs," said the 79-year-old Mr Neil. "I could do it but I shouldn't have to do it."

Mr. Neil said he was surprised when he received the letter and hopes City Housing will take a second look at the matter.

"Where are we going to put this stuff, what are the people going to do?," asked Mr. Neil, who figures only a few second floor seniors in the buildings use scooters or bicycles. "People are depending on their scooters and I enjoy my bike and what else is left for us, we're old people."

Elaine France, 70, a ground floor tenant at 88 Macassa said the new rule doesn't effect her but she is worried about how it will effect other tenants in the building.

"My concern is for these other people who have scooters and I don't see why Hamilton Housing can't have more compassion for them," she said.

After she received her notice, Ms. Field contacted Ward 6 councillor Tom Jackson. Mr. Jackson said he arranged a meeting at the apartment building March 19 with some of the tenants along with City Housing and fire department officials to see if something can be worked out.

"I was quite shocked when I heard about this being an issue," Mr. Jackson said.

Mr. Jackson said alternative storage arrangements could include using a ground floor laundry room, building an outdoor storage shed near the rear entrance or possibly turning the stairwells into proper storage areas by installing fire-rated doors.

The Mountain News attempted to get a comment from city fire prevention officials but our call was not returned by press time.