Local state of emergency continues as Nunavut community seeks stable power

The NCC building in Pangnirtung, where most Government of Nunavut employees work, remains closed, the GN said April 8. (PHOTO COURTESY OF NCC)

The situation in Pangnirtung remained unchanged April 8, the Government of Nunavut said in its latest update.

Power was restored in Pangnirtung April 6, four days after the power plant in this community of 1,500 burned down, causing a major, prolonged power outage.

Now power is on throughout the entire community, the GN said, although the local state of emergency remains in place.

But people in Pangnirtung are still being asked to conserve power as much as possible.

That’s because the emergency back-up generators now powering the community are a temporary measure until a mid-term solution can be put into place, the GN said.

The plan includes bringing larger generators and transformers to Pangnirtung as quickly as possible to stabilize the power network, the GN said.

The Qulliq Energy Corp. and Nunavut Emergency Management are working to find and bring in equipment from the South through “the most efficient and economical means.”

Meanwhile, the GN has not re-opened its NCC office building in Pangnirtung, which “remains closed until further notice,” the latest bulletin said.

This closure means staff at the Pangnirtung regional offices of the departments of Education, Family Services, Health, Environment, Community and Government Services, and Economic Development are “not expected to report to work.”

However, the community health centre is open, and GN essential services staff are continuing to work from alternate locations around Pangnirtung, the bulletin said.