Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Jan 27/99) - There are steps people in the Keewatin can take to help prevent a blizzard -- like the one that rocked the region earlier this month -- from causing unnecessary damage to their homes or putting the well-being of themselves and their families at risk.

Harry Towtongie owns his own heating service business and Rankin Inlet and he's seen the worst of Old Man Winter's winter moods. Towtongie says there are a number of safeguards people can take to improve their home's weatherproofing and make it safe against the deadly Keewatin winter elements.

"The first thing is, people should take the time to shovel around their homes and cover the bottom of the house by piling snow around it," says Towtongie. "This will keep the wind from blowing underneath the house and that really, really helps.

"This is one of the simplest steps people can take and snow cost nothing but your time. Putting plastic up around your windows is also a good idea to help with your fuel efficiency."

For owners of newer units, Towtongie says they have to pay special attention to their makeup, or combustion air for their furnaces. He says home owners must ensure this is open because the houses are air tight. If they are closed off, air will be sucked out of the chimney's barometric damper and into the home.

"It's also a good idea to take your rain cap off the chimney for the winter and then ice won't build up. Ice builds up really fast around those caps."

Towtongie says during the winter, homeowners should always remember to top off their oil and should make a point of fuelling up their house when they know a storm is coming. In many Keewatin communities, blizzards can block off roads and fuel trucks can't get through with your delivery.

People should also take the time to get rid of snow and ice buildup around and under their doors so they close properly and chimney's should be serviced twice a year to ensure maximum efficiency and prevent hazardous buildup or decay. The best times to have chimney's serviced are just before and after the heating season.

"A couple of chimneys in Rankin got plugged up during the last storm and the homes got sooted out pretty bad. We had about five units with this problem and two of them happened as a result of snow under the house which plugged off the air vents.

"When the really extreme weather is upon us, it's a good idea to run your water for at least five minutes every hour. This will really help prevent your pipes from freezing. With the severe storms we can get, it's also important to keep your doors shovelled out all the time so you can get out if you have to.

"It's always important to keep your house well-stocked during the winter and it's very important to know where to call if there's a problem or an emergency. Maintenance numbers around town should be kept somewhere where you know where they are."