Critical repairs underway at aging Igloolik school

Visual inspection report pointed to 127 issues needing to be fixed at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School

Igloolik’s Ataguttaaluk Elementary School is undergoing critical repairs after an inspection report cited 127 issues that need to be fixed at the aging building, including 25 listed as critical. (Photo by Madalyn Howitt)

By Madalyn Howitt

Repairs are underway at Igloolik’s Ataguttaaluk Elementary School after an inspection report cited 127 issues in the aging building that need fixing, Nunavut’s Department of Community and Government Services says.

Since last fall, the Department of Community and Government Services has completed at least nine of 25 critical repairs cited in a building condition assessment report prepared last year, Greg Belanger, a department spokesperson for Community and Government Services, said in an email Friday.

He said the repairs completed so far include:

  • Adding new dedicated receptacles for classroom space heaters;
  • Building temporary fencing around the exterior fuel tank to prevent unauthorized climbing and access to the building roof;
  • Relocating the point of attachment where the electrical service connects to the building, and installation of new consumer service conductors;
  • Installing a main service disconnect switch for the electrical system; and
  • Completing a comprehensive electrical inspection to meet Canadian Electrical Code compliance.

Last week, Nunatsiaq News reported that the school needed a total of 127 issues to be fixed, including 25 deemed critical. Those repairs were recommended in a219-page building condition assessment report, completed Dec. 11 by Manitoba-based Accutech Engineering Inc. The 127 repairs were recommended based on visual inspections conducted outside and inside the school in July 2023.

Nunatsiaq News obtained that report through an access to information request.

The list of repairs included critical recommendations like installing handrails at outdoor stairs, removing barricades from certain doors leading to the outside, and replacing the antiquated fire alarm system.

Ataguttaaluk school was built in 1968 and is considered to be more than 30 years past its expected lifespan, according to data from Community and Government Services.

Items cited as critical mean they violate code, are a serious safety hazard, or may be a factor in imminent equipment failure and should be fixed immediately, the report states.

Additional critical work was carried out in March, Belanger said.

That included adding new electrical receptacles in classrooms, replacing non-serviceable receptacles and cover plates, and replacing all damaged exterior light fixtures with new LED lights.

Maintenance work was also done on the emergency and exit lighting system, including replacing old battery packs and faulty remote heads to ensure adequate lighting of hallways, classrooms and provide light for safe exit during a power failure.

Further critical work recommended by the inspection report includes 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.

The Community and Government Services Department has refused to release the estimated cost to make the repairs outlined in the report.

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(4) Comments:

  1. Posted by Oh for heavens sakes on

    The only thing wrong with this building is there has been no maintenance done since the day it was built. That is the problem with most buildings. They are turned over and the neglected. There is no reason to replace any building at a 25 year life cycle as suggested by these reports. The problem is there isn’t trained, skilled people that take pride in thier work. And no supervisors or inspectors doing thier jobs.

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    • Posted by Consistency on

      Your right that is what got it to this stage… now that we are here though a new building is needed. But hopefully they will take this for a warning and keep up the maintance on other buildings so it does not happen to other schools 40 years from now that were just built.

  2. Posted by Pilot project on

    Why not use this as a pilot project to get on top of the maintenance and schedule major repairs and upgrades. Nothing to loose. If the building is saved great if a new school is built in the future this building could be repurposed. Just don’t toss something away because of current practice. Fix the problem of systematic negligence. Insist people do thier xxxxxxxx jobs.

  3. Posted by Real Experience on

    We had a minor works contract in one of the communities which required 4 days for 2 of us. We planned on using the gymnasium emergency exit for access to the work. The door was chained closed from the inside when we arrived so I asked the maintainer if he could open it which he did but said it had to be chained up each time we went in or out. We figured it will take a lot less time to fix the hardware than to keep playing this stupid game. We asked if he had any old hardware that we could use to replace the damaged parts which he accommodated by taking us to his shop. We found no less than three unopened matching hardware. We asked if they were tagged for any other project he replied “These things have been here for years” we had to agree by the amount of dust on the packages. We took one, installed it and 1 hour later we were using the door and it was returned to operating condition. The guy would spend most of the next 4 days standing around drinking coffee watching us although we did not require any supervision, assistance or instruction. By the way, no charge for fixing the door hardware. Why should this happen? I have some thoughts on the matter but perhaps one should draw their own conclusions.

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