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ENTERPRISE
The roof of an Enterprise municipal garage collapsed under the weight of snow on Jan. 28.

The roof of a municipal garage in Enterprise collapsed under the weight of snow on Jan. 28. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

No one was injured in the incident, which happened in mid-afternoon.

However, two vehicles - a 15-seat van and a pickup truck - were inside the galvanized steel garage and are now basically keeping the roof from hitting the cement floor.

"They're heavily damaged and they're older vehicles," said Terry Testart, senior administrative officer with the Hamlet of Enterprise.

The collapse happened after a heavy snowfall.

Testart said the collapse was the catalyst to get major hamlet buildings cleared of snow on their roofs - the hamlet office, the community centre and the fire hall.

Other hamlet buildings, including municipal garages, will be assessed for snow load.

Workers from Alberta's UFA La Crete, the same company which built the community centre, were due in Enterprise late last week to start the work.

"They're clearing off the snow from our major buildings," Testart said. "It's a little bit of an emergency situation, because we're worried about the snow load on all the roofs. The community centre is a building that's worth over $1 million."

At its meeting on Feb. 6, hamlet council approved an $8,500 bid by UFA La Crete on an invitational tender to clear the snow off the three main buildings. A bid from an NWT company was $10,000 higher.

Testart said it will probably only take a few days to do the work.

"What we're really worried about is not so much the roofs collapsing this minute, but if there's any further snowfall," he said on Feb. 7. "We're worried about the snow load."

An insurance adjuster was due in Enterprise late last week or early this week to assess the damage on the garage and the vehicles, along with some other

equipment.

"But I wouldn't hold my breath about them being reparable," Testart said.

As of last week, there was no estimated cost of the damages.

"I assume it will be covered by insurance and we will replace the building," Testart noted.

Coun. Allan Flamand noted that, at one point in the past, the hamlet had a conceptual drawing done on possibly changing the garage into an indoor skating rink in winter and, in summer, using it for things like basketball and rollerblading.

"If that drawing is still there, it's maybe something that we should relook at now that we've got to rebuild something," Flamand said, noting an expensive cement floor is already there.

While agreeing to look for the drawing, Testart noted the insurance will only cover rebuilding the structure to its use as a parking garage.

The SAO is not aware of any private property in Enterprise being damaged by snow this year.

"But I'm concerned about the snow load on some of the private houses," he said.

The hamlet will attempt to connect homeowners who would like snow removed with local people who can do the work.

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