Iqaluit (Mar 08/04) - Nunavut gets a blast of fresh air

The Nunavut government is going to have all its buildings done, said Rumbolt, who is hopeful he'll pick up the lion's share of that business.

"When the new Government of Canada building was built, they brought someone in to clean it and two years later brought someone back to have it cleaned again," he said.

Rumbolt and his partner began thinking about providing the service about four years ago.

"We went to Edmonton and talked to a fellow who has this service," he said. "They went out and showed us all the equipment and how to make sure you're not missing sections."

If an area is missed, the dirt just floods back around -- along with all the germs. Some of the older buildings in the territory have never had the air ducts cleaned, he said.

"There's anywhere from one-half inch to an inch of dust in their air-handling units," he said.

The lack of proper maintenance of air ducts can lead to respiratory problems as well as energy-efficiency problems.

"In the last couple years we've had big epidemics of up to 30 to 50 kids having to be sent home from school in Cape Dorset and Sanikiluaq," he said.

Cleaner air means people feel healthier, he said, while clean ducts, furnaces and filters also lead to greater energy efficiency.

"When the air ducts and the filters are clean the furnace is burning half the fuel," he said. "For dollars and economy wise it's quite an improvement."