The Town of Inuvik says engineers from Aecom have condemned two buildings after a thorough inspection, with demolition likely to be their ultimate fate.
The buildings, along Raven Street between Inuit Road and Kugmallit Road, were built roughly 40 years ago by the federal government as staff housing, according to Mayor Clarence Wood.
“This is going to be a big win for the community. We now have confirmation from the engineering firm that these buildings are condemned,” town senior administrator Michael Trabysh told a council meeting last week.
Later purchased by a private individual who has since left town, Trabysh said the buildings have been subject to multiple incidents of vandalism and racked up a huge unpaid tax bill.
Wood said the units, some abandoned for more than 12 years, needed an inspection after a “number of small fires.”
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Aecom’s report found issues with pilings underneath the buildings, while “the structure itself – on two row housing blocks – was not OK to work in and was a hazard.”
The town’s fire department also went inside the building to analyze the units’ construction and take photos that the town presented during the meeting.
Trabysh said the buildings being condemned means “they can’t be worked on, on the inside” as it’s not safe for workers. Meanwhile, the walls are painted with lead paint, “so some materials may need to be reclaimed and dealt with from the perspective of contaminated materials.”
Attempts will now be made to contact the owner.
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Condemnation is “only one step of a long administrative process that the town is undertaking to ensure public safety in relation to abandoned and derelict buildings,” a spokesperson for the Town of Inuvik wrote via email.
“There are many more considerations and long-term actions that need to be taken.”
Wood said the town will approach the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission to declare the buildings unsafe to work in, and eventually demolish them as they pose a “major public safety issue.”
Demolishing the buildings will allow newer housing opportunities and help beautify the town, he said.
“The buildings are unusable. The property, we could probably make use of that somehow,” said Wood, “maybe buying the buildings ourselves and having them demolished. It is not feasible to live in the buildings, we’re past that point.”
