Fire destroys former federal day school building in Taloyoak
Firefighters briefly retreat as ammunition catches fire inside and starts to ‘go off,’ fire chief says
Volunteer firefighters in Taloyoak battle a blaze that destroyed a former federal day school and craft shop. Fire Chief Steve Aqqaq says crews fought the fire for about eight hours on Saturday and had to retreat for safety after ammunition stored inside exploded. (Photo by Bruce Holwell/Special to Nunatsiaq News)
Flames fully engulfed an unused building in Taloyoak that once served as a federal day school Saturday morning, sending plumes of smoke into the community as volunteer firefighters battled the blaze.
Taloyoak firefighters work to contain a blaze at a former federal day school and craft shop Saturday. (Photo by Bruce Holwell/Special to Nunatsiaq News)
The fire was reported to the RCMP at about 9 a.m. on Aug. 8, Cpl. Ashley Daley said in an email.
Ten volunteer firefighters arrived within five minutes and used two water trucks to fight the blaze, fire Chief Steve Aqqaq said in an interview Tuesday.
“We were at the fire scene for about eight hours and had to return a couple times as it rekindled,” Aqqaq said.
Firefighters briefly entered the building but could only stay inside for 10 seconds because of the fire’s intensity, he said. East winds worsened the circumstances.
At one point, firefighters heard popping sounds. They exited the building and said that ammunition was stored inside. For their own safety, the crew had to back away and allow the fire to burn before they continued, Aqqaq said. It’s unclear whose ammunition was stored.
While the building that caught fire was completely destroyed, its neighbours remain standing, as firefighters were able to keep them from catching, Aqqaq said.
No injuries or evacuations were reported, Daley said.
The building had been used as a federal day school between November 1958 and April 1969, according to indiandayschools.org. Aqqaq said it later housed a craft shop but had been boarded up for “many, many years.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Daley said.
The story begs two questions, first one to the author of the article: What is a federal day school?
Second question (for the community): Why is there an empty building that has been boarded up for many years sitting in the middle of a community?
Federal day school were for children that lived in the indigenous communities, similar to residential schools, learn the history! Old buildings are boarded for safety of community members. So that people don’t go in there, could be structural or asbestos in these old buildings.
Every town in NU for the most part as empty buildings throughout their Hamlets. Buildings that are derelict and there is no budget to demolish and remove them. Some have sat or 20+ years now.
There’s even non-derelict buildings that are just boarded up and not in use. A perfect example of that is Nunavut Arctic College. It has fully unused buildings here, windows covered up and sitting empty.
They are everywhere and until NHC and others are forced to act and remove them due to lack of space in Hamlets for new builds, I suspect they will continue to sit there.
Each town in the Kitikmeot had 1 Federal Day School. I believe even called Federal Indian Day School despite being Inuit here, it was a single name given to them across Canada since there was little distinguishment between groups back then.
Common for empty buildings to be in communties because there is no money to deal with them…Multiple levels of problems way over your head. Cant go to Home Depot to fix them. A good economic development dept could find funding to fix them up but its costly and heavy in Gov’t red tape..
I can’t believe they never thought of that, you should contact CGS! How to change it!
Meanwhile in other parts of Canada, historic buildings of all sorts manage to remain standing in communities for literally centuries after their intended use is over.
Taloyoak has become infamous for youth crime and break and enters. It is probable although not certain that youth arson will be the cause found for this blaze.
It is a stark and uncomfortable fact in Nunavut that almost entire communities of parents have completely lost the plot when it comes to raising children to be respectful, peaceful and well adjusted human beings.
The result of this is that this beautiful tiny Hamlet has lost an important historic building that had significance for many middle aged people who experienced formal education for the first time there, many elderly Inuit who first became trained Educators there, and many elderly Inuit women who first built a local arts and crafts industry from scratch underneath that roof.
Taloyoak should treat this as a watershed moment to rededicate the community to raising youth properly, and caring for and paying attention to the valuable things in their community.
This is especially important given the new High School there is almost ready to open, and is a new, fat target for the young delinquents in the community.
If not, all we will see is a continual dribble of news from Taloyoak filled with arson and vandalism incidents until the Hamlet becomes essentially unlivable.
Where did you hear that kids started this fire? You sound like a pro-colonialist who immediately blames and stereotypes people from a community you’ve probably never been to.