Regulator rules First Nations mother owed thousands from Winnipeg landlord

Manitoba’s tenants and landlord regulator is ordering a real estate company to pay a First Nations mother thousands of dollars after providing her with two properties that she alleges were in disrepair. Samantha Zebrasky took Ember Realty to the province’s Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB) over two properties she rented from them. Zebrasky described one property where she lived with her six children as a “house of hell.” Searching for a home After regaining custody of her children from child and family services, Zebrasky said all she wanted was a home. “Two years ago, I was a recovering addict. I was an alcoholic,” Zebrasky told APTN News. “I am now 18 months into my sobriety. I have all six kids home.” “We had to start all over again from being reunited with our kids at a transitioning centre, starting all over from having nothing to maybe at least something, and thinking we’re having a home.” In early 2025, Zebrasky’s family planned to move out of a transitional housing complex and into a place they could call home. That’s when she found a rental in Winnipeg’s North End through an online listing by Ember Realty. When she and her movers arrived at the residence in Winnipeg’s North End on March 11, she alleged it was nothing like the photos. “[We were] leaving a transitioning centre, fleeing for our lives, thinking we had a home, to go walk into a house of hell. No fridge, no heat, no water, no stove, nothing for me and my kids, no furnace,” she alleges. “We had to leave.” Zebrasky and her family packed up some of their belongings and stayed at a hotel while planning to move into a different rental. They stored the remainder of their items at the property on Alfred Ave. and did their best to secure what she alleges was an unsecured house. On March 17, they returned to retrieve their belongings and discovered the house had been broken into. Zebrasky claims virtually everything, from her son’s gaming equipment to an urn with her father’s ashes, was stolen. “The traditional dresses, my drums, my rattles, my kids’ stuff, our clothing, our bikes, our electric bikes, our games, our couches, our furniture, right to the deep freezer and the food,” she claimed. “Everything we had in the house, gone.” Issues persist at second rental On the same day, Zebrasky moved into another Ember Realty property on Aberdeen Ave. in the same neighbourhood. However, she said it wasn’t much better than the previous rental. She alleged a series of issues, including black mould in the basement and a pigeon infestation in the attic. “You use the upstairs bathroom [and] it leaks through the ceiling,” she alleged. “We’re no longer able to bathe the kids… due to the black mould smelling around the bathroom.” Zebrasky received multiple notices of termination for non-payment of rent starting in April. However, she refused to pay rent due to the alleged issues. She continued to live at the property while applying for other rentals and sitting on several housing waitlists. “I just really want a home for my children,” Zebrasky said in July. “That’s where we’ll thrive.” RTB orders compensation In May, Zebrasky launched a claim with the RTB demanding compensation from Ember Realty Group. “We want our money back for the rent, the damage, the lost property, the furnace bills that I’ve been paying for,” Zebrasky told APTN on the day of the hearing. On July 8, APTN attended Zebrasky’s hearing. The landlord did not show. On July 16, the RTB ordered Ember Realty to pay Zebrasky $194.20 for the property on Aberdeen Ave., and $5,479.60 for the property on Alfred Ave. by Aug. 5. A systemic issue: Housing advocate Shauna MacKinnon is a professor of Urban and Inner-City Studies at the University of Winnipeg and a member of the Right to Housing Coalition. She said the lack of social and affordable housing in Manitoba leaves many low-income families with few options. To address the issue, MacKinnon said the province must implement stronger rent regulations and expand its social housing supply. “That is the kind of housing that we know is most accessible to folks who are living on low incomes, and especially when you’re talking about families with a bunch of kids,” MacKinnon said. “It’s really virtually impossible to get housing that’s affordable in the private market for those families.” In January, Manitoba launched its Your Way Home plan to end chronic homelessness. However, MacKinnon said the plan largely focuses on housing people living in encampments, leaving others experiencing housing insecurity on long waitlists. “Housing is really the foundation in terms of health, education, employment, all of those things, family reunification of folks who are involved in child welfare,” MacKinnon said. “So, it really should be made the top priority to expand the supply.” New beginnings Knowing other Winnipeg families experiencing similar struggles, Zebrasky hopes her story sparks change. “It’s my kids that are the victims, and that’s why my voice is getting louder, because my kids can’t speak for themselves,” she said. “I have to speak for them.” APTN reached out to Ember Realty Ltd. via telephone and email on multiple occasions but received no response. On July 25, APTN visited Ember Realty’s office on Selkirk Ave. It appeared to be closed. A sign on the door directed tenants to pay rent in person at Chochy’s Pawn Shop down the street. Continue Reading