Nine months after their house exploded, Minh Nguyen and his family are rebuilding and planning to move back into the home they shared for nearly seven years.

But they’re not happy about it.

“We have no choice,” Nguyen tells CTV News.

“If I had a choice, maybe I’d choose a different place … but we have no choice.”

The Nguyens’ home, on Activa Avenue in southwest Kitchener exploded in January, while the family of four was asleep.

The family survived the explosion and ensuing fire, but Minh was left with major injuries including a broken pelvis.

He spent two months recovering in hospital, and still needs the help of a cane to walk.

No cause was ever determined for the explosion, beyond an unknown gas-related origin.

“We don’t know for what reason my house exploded – for sure (it was) gas, but for what reason?” says Nguyen.

Kitchener Fire chief Tim Beckett says the investigation into the explosion remains active and remains in the hands of the Ontario Fire Marshal.

All he’s been made privy to thus far is that the explosion was gaseous in nature and started inside the building.

“External companies were brought in to really look at the area for any gas pockets, seepage that might have been a cause,” he says.

“Those were ruled out early in the investigation.”

The explosion completely destroyed the two-storey house – when rebuilding efforts got underway in the summer, crews had to start by pouring a new layer of concrete foundation.

Insurance is covering the costs of rebuilding the house and the Nguyens plan to move back in by December, even if they’re afraid that not knowing what caused the explosion means not knowing if another one could occur.

“My family is still scared,” says Nguyen.

“A lot of the time, we’re scared to go in our basement.”

Compounding Nguyen’s worries was a bill for $13,000 from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority that landed in his mailbox.

The bill was for the cost of the TSSA’s investigation into the explosion.

TSSA spokesperson Wilson Lee tells CTV News the bill wasn’t meant for Nguyen personally and should have been forwarded to his insurance company.

“TSSA regrets any stress this misunderstanding may have caused the homeowner and wish him and his family well in their continued recovery from the explosion,” he said in an email.