Police charge minor in connection with Nunavik fire

An early morning fire on Monday, Sept. 17, destroyed the youth protection offices in Kuujjuaq. Health officials do not believe the building was targeted. (FILE PHOTO)

(Updated Sept. 19 at 12:15)

Quebec police have arrested and charged a teenager in connection with a fire that destroyed a youth protection office in Kuujjuaq on Monday, Sept. 17.

Police arrested a 17-year-old girl late Tuesday, the Sûrete du Québec said Sept. 19. She now faces charges of arson and making death threats, and is scheduled to appear in Kuujjuaq court later today.

Firefighters were called in the early hours of Monday morning to a fire burning through an office of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services’ department of youth protection, which houses 26 employees.

No one was injured in the fire, but the building was completely destroyed. The Kativik Regional Police Force and Sûreté du Québec worked jointly on the investigation.

The fire left youth protection workers scrambling to re-locate this week, said the health board’s director, Elena Labranche.

“As of right now, the employees are being moved to the administrative office,” Labranche said.

“We’re just all in shock. We’re trying to do this as fast as possible so that we can resume services.”

The 26 youth protection workers are being moved into an administrative office that is part of Kuujjuaq’s Tulattavik health centre.

Labranche couldn’t say if that will be the department’s location until a new office is built, but she said staff should be back to work soon.

Frustrations with youth protection services in the region run deep, although the health board is in the process of developing a revised service adapted to Inuit communities in Nunavik.

But health officials do not believe the building was targeted.

That’s because a handful of other homes in the neighbourhood were also set on fire the same night, residents say, though there were no injuries or major damage to those buildings.

“It’s just very sad to lose this building,” Labranche said. “It’s devastating.”

Fortunately, Labranche said, client files are all kept electronically and weren’t affected by the fire.

Nunavimmiut who need to reach youth protection for now can contact the department at 819-964-2905.