Aging Igloolik school has 127 issues that need fixing: report
Building condition assessment completed at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School
A building condition assessment of Igloolik’s Ataguttaaluk Elementary School lists 127 issues to be addressed, including 58 critical or high priority items like exposed glycol piping and an antiquated fire alarm system. (Photo by Madalyn Howitt)
Missing handrails on stairs, an antiquated fire alarm system, barricaded exits — those are some of the critical issues that must be fixed at Igloolik’s elementary school, according to an inspection report.
The single-storey Ataguttaaluk Elementary School is one of Nunavut’s oldest schools. Despite some renovations and additions since it was built in 1968, the school is considered to be more than 30 years past its lifespan and plagued by numerous maintenance issues.
In October, the Department of Education announced it had ordered a building condition assessment to determine the full extent of work required and how much it will cost.
Nunatsiaq News obtained the building condition assessment report, completed Dec. 11 by Manitoba-based Accutech Engineering Inc., through an access to information request. That came after the Government of Nunavut said in November it would not make the findings public.
In all, the report identifies 127 issues to be addressed.
Accutech representatives visited the school in July 2023 and conducted visual inspections outside and inside the building.
Some sections of the 219-page report that concern estimated repair costs and depictions of floor plans are redacted.
Numerous pictures throughout the report show doors and windows that do not open, exposed electrical gear, and weathered exterior stairs and siding.
The 127 issues Accutech found are listed on a scale of Normal to Critical priority.
Fifty-eight are either critical — meaning they violate code, are a serious safety hazard, or may be a factor in imminent equipment failure and should be fixed immediately — or high priority, meaning repairs should be completed within the next year.
In one instance, the report noted a deadbolt latch had been installed on an exit door, which is not allowed under the building code, and several other exits with damaged door hardware that do not open as intended.
“This is a safety hazard, and replacement or repairs to ensure proper exiting should be prioritized,” the report said.
In September, Nunatsiaq News spoke with a parent of three students at the school who said the water tank could not be completely filled because of a crack causing leaks.
“The root cause of the leaks is because the foundation is sinking within parts of the tank room,” the report states.
“This has caused that tank to bow inward and create unwanted movement and stress at the connection and tank supports.”
The report notes the school’s water tank room was “very damp” upon inspection and the amount of moisture in the room “excessive.”
“The entire concrete floor was wet, there was water observed under the foundation at numerous locations, there were multiple puddles in the area, the humidity of the space was very high, and the sump pump was continually operating during the entire site visit,” the report states, adding the school’s plumbing system is “undersized” for the building.
The building’s walls, roof, doors and windows show extensive wear, and appear to be original to the building.
“Therefore, it is well past its expected life service and is recommended to be replaced,” the report said.
Overall, mechanical systems are at or beyond their life expectancy, and visually appear to be in “poor to fair conditions.”
“Exposed wiring joints and broken devices that pose a safety risk were observed in various occupiable areas.”
Many of the leaks in the walls and roof, uneven floors, roof and exterior stairs and landing, as well as damage to the surrounding building finishes, are caused by different parts of the foundation shifting.
Accutech recommended fixing that “before any major renovation work or upgrades are done to the building unless the problem is deemed as a life safety item, at which immediate work is required to rectify the problem,” the report said.
The company submitted a letter to the GN, dated Aug. 14, indicating life safety items requiring immediate action, and noted items that do not comply with the requirements of the National Building Code.
The letter said: “Three exit doors are barricaded to prevent unwanted access from the outside. In discussion with the building maintainer, the barricades are removed during school operating hours. The barricades prevent the doors from opening or closing.”
Among the report’s recommendations:
- minimizing or eliminating groundwater seepage in the tank room;
- replacing the fire alarm system;
- replacing all broken exterior windows;
- ensuring all building exits are not obstructed and are fully functional and exit signs are installed;
- replacing the entire fuel oil system in its entirety;
- installing handrails at stairs and replacing all exterior stairs and ramps;
- re-levelling floors to avoid tripping hazards.
It also recommends insulating exposed glycol piping to prevent burns, testing the fire pump protection system to ensure it is in working order, and “immediately” filling the existing sprinkler tanks, which are not full.
The Department of Community and Government Services, which handles maintenance requests at Nunavut’s schools, did not respond to a request for comment on when the critical issues listed in the report will be fixed.
Great job on the ATIP, NN!
Sounds like the asset isn’t actually that secure after all.
“Therefore, it is well past its expected life service and is recommended to be replaced,” the report said.
Start planning GN a report says it needs to be replaced, must mean it will happen.
and “immediately” filling the existing sprinkler tanks, which are not full.
… or not….
Maybe forced replacement?
I can understand why the GN didnt want to release the report… but they must have known they would be forced to through ATIP. just makes the GN look bad trying to hide this. What other reports are written and are negative then not publicly released?
No plans for a new school still? Igloolik deserves new schools. One elementary, and one for junior and senior high.
Only commununities where kids burn down schools seem to get new schools! Bad!
Got a new coop though.
A fine example of the difference between Nunavut and the NWT and they just celebrated 25 years of Nunavut and i don’t think NWT would allowed if we were still under NWT and there a lot more examples how we falling behind like fuel tanks and airport and so on.
You obviously haven’t seen the state of schools in the NWT.
Colville Lake for starters their school isn’t even in one building let alone two.
There are many others falling apart
just the same. The problem lies with infrastructure of
both territories. You need to do maintenance
the gn had to build a jail first. get your priorities straightened out!
Not to mention the new Iqaluit airport (at least double the size of what was needed) and port (still barely used and with no plan for efficient operation).
well with the poor level of education that even the ‘graduates’ have these days (can barely add let alone read and write in Inuktitut) we will need more jails for the young men and women.
Are you saying it’s a crime to not read or write inuktitut? 🤔 what’s next? Are you going to say it’s illegal to even think of building schools? You sound like a bad dictator. The likes of Kim Jong un. Igloolik is growing. This is for the kids future.
I am sorry Northerner you must be one of the new recent grads.
My post was sarcasm.
I do in fact think we need better schools and a better education system. Uneducated people all over the word are the majority in prisions… Though yes i do think Inuktitut should be forced at a greater level then it is because it is not being taught to the level it should be in the schools.
Why bother building, or fixing, schools when (some) parents don’t believe in the education system or teach their own children the value of a diversified social environment. The infrastructure will suffer inversely to the respect that the people show for their money grabs for their status.
Yes, the school needs to be replaced, but part of the prioritization process is the involvement of the community and their priorities. People need to visit
buildingnunavut.com and check out the Infrastructure Plan for Igloolik. Nowhere on the 2023 plan does it mention a new school. So, either the GN follows the wishes of the communities and includes them in the process or it takes over all the planning. With so many needs and wants I do not think there is much of an appetite to build something Igloolik does not want.
You should check out buildingnunavut.com and see what your communities are asking for instead of listening to the mouthpieces who like to hear themselves speak
Got confused, I thought I read the school was 127 years old 😂
Maybe if you call it a beer and wine school it will get built very quickly, the GN has a huge annual budget of over 3 BILLION dollars, problem is priorities for the GN,
??? The B&W was an existing building, the part that took forever was the studies and planning. Once that was done they just renovated the liquor warehouse and made it a storefront.
“The Department of Community and Government Services, which handles maintenance requests at Nunavut’s schools, did not respond to a request for comment on when the critical issues listed in the report will be fixed.”
NN asked the WRONG question. The ONLY real question is:
Why weren’t the repairs done within a few days of them being reported by the school’s administration?
My heart goes out to the staff and students who have to work in such a place. What courage and determination it must take to show up in such a place each and every day. And how much work it has been for the school principal to keep on top of safety reports. Hard to focus on learning in unsafe school building . Think of that next time Education is blamed for the low grad rate.
People of “Canada”, N.W.T. and Nunavut will always be in the crappy situation, as the feds perfer to help foreigners. Wake up and smell the liberal weed.
So opposed to “foreigners “. Where did you and your ancestors come from. Everyone comes from away at some point. No one or thier ancestry rose up from the earth they occupy.