Iqaluit (Nov 22/04) - Last week's high winds and blizzard conditions brought damage and crime to at least two Nunavut communities. In Grise Fiord, from Nov. 16-18, more than one storage shed was shattered, the Co-op hotel lost a window, and eight families were temporarily moved into the school because of strong, gusting winds.

"There was one (shed) absolutely torn to pieces, like it blew up," said Jimmie Qaapik, the community's economic development officer.

Another shack was blown away and came to rest upside down in the middle of the road, said Qaapik.

Both the gym and the fire hall lost pieces of roof sheeting, but nobody was injured, Qaapik said.

No official wind speed estimates are available, but Grise Fiord is known for having strong wind gusts because of its location, said Yvonne Bilan-Wallace of Environment Canada's Arctic Weather centre. Kumar Saha was staying in the Grise Fiord hotel when the storm the strongest winds of the storm hit the evening of Nov. 17.

"You're sort of lying in bed there, trying to get to sleep and the whole place is shaking and the window blew out twice," Saha said.

In Taloyoak, a series of break-ins occurred within a day after the blizzard began on the morning of Nov. 15.

RCMP say youth twice broke in through the front doors at Netsilik school. Weights from the exercise room, pop, chips, and some cash were stolen.

Drills, screw drivers, and a crow bar were also used to steal $788 from a safe at Lyall Construction. After the second break-in at the school, two youth decided to wander into the hamlet garage.

"They didn't see anything of value so they left," said Const. Keith Hendricks.

Around the same time, Hendricks said the Nunavut Power Corp. office was broken into, but nothing is believed to have been stolen. Seventeen communities received storm warnings last week, according to Environment Canada.

Resolute Bay received the worst winds, measured at 89 km/h with gusts up to 118 km/h the evening of Nov. 16, said Bilan-Wallace.

Taloyoak, Iqaluit, Cape Dorset, and Kugaaruk, all experienced winds in the mid-70 km/h range.