Heaters, water being flown into Gjoa Haven as power outage recovery continues

A plane carrying bottled water and emergency heating equipment was scheduled to land in Gjoa Haven Wednesday as the community recovers from a three-day power outage.

Electricity was restored Saturday following a community-wide outage that began April 8. The hamlet remains under a local state of emergency, though, due to infrastructure damage homes sustained while they were without heat.

A Buffalo Airways charter flight, arranged by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., was expected to arrive from Yellowknife mid-afternoon in the hamlet of about 1,500 people.

Agnico Eagle said its staff met virtually Tuesday with Gjoa Haven Mayor Raymond Quqshuun, hamlet staff, the local housing association manager and Nunavut Housing Corp. to co-ordinate support efforts.

“Initial discussions with the Gjoa Haven emergency response team identified bottled water and heaters as immediate priorities, which informed the current delivery,” said Alex Buchan, the company’s director of Nunavut affairs, in an email Wednesday.

The shipment includes two pallets of 15-litre bottles of water — about 9,000 litres in total, or 600 bottles — along with 12 portable heaters and copper tubing needed to support plumbing repairs at the community arena.

A few Agnico Eagle employees from its Hope Bay mining operation are expected to be in Gjoa Haven on Thursday to see if additional supplies are needed.

According to the Nunavut Housing Corp., 50 of the community’s 266 public housing units were damaged during the outage, with eight repaired and 42 still requiring work.

Officials say the damage included frozen plumbing systems.

About six families remain displaced and are staying with relatives and friends, said Chantel Caza, communications manager for the Nunavut Housing Corp., in an email.

The Hamlet of Gjoa Haven has offered reimbursement of $50 per person per night to those opening their homes to others.

Plumbers and oil burner mechanics are being flown into the community for the next two to three weeks to support repair work, Caza said.

Residents can fill their water jugs for free at the Northern Store, starting Wednesday afternoon, the hamlet said in a Facebook post.

Emergency water distribution is also being supported by five Canadian Rangers who were deployed Saturday to help deliver potable water to residents.

They will be in Gjoa Haven until Thursday, according to Nunavut Emergency Management.

The Rangers will also conduct wellness checks on vulnerable residents, assist with snow clearing to improve access to homes, and collect ice for community use, said Lewisa Oppong, assistant chief administrative officer for the hamlet, in an email Tuesday.

Oppong said the hamlet’s emergency response plan, last updated in 2017, has been used over the past week.

The hamlet is working on updating the plan to incorporate lessons learned during the water situation and power outage, she said.