Police investigate early morning Nunavik fire

Sometime early on Sept. 17, a fire burned through a new Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services building that housed its department of youth protection services and office space for 26 employees. Police are treating the fire as suspicious. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Quebec provincial police are investigating an early morning fire that destroyed a youth protection office in Kuujjuaq.

Sometime late on Sunday, Sept. 16, through until early next morning, a fire tore through a new Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services building that housed its department of youth protection services and office space for 26 employees.

No one was injured in the fire, but the building was completely destroyed.

Sûrete du Québec provincial police officers took over the investigation on Sept. 17, calling the fire suspicious and criminal in nature. No one has been arrested in relation to the incident, the SQ said.

Community members said a suspected arsonist also set fire to a number of other houses in the neighbourhood, but police could only confirm the office fire.

For its part, the health board said it has secured the site to protect the confidentiality of its clients’ files.

“Services will resume at their normal pace as soon as possible,” a health board spokesperson said on Sept. 17.