Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Published Monday, August 11, 2008

PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG - Workers at the housing association office in Pangnirtung say there is a mould problem in their workplace and they're concerned about their health.

"It's been here for quite some time," Ooroota Kakee, the office steward for the Pangnirtung Housing Association said. "The smell isn't here all the time; it's worse in spring and on rainy days in the summer and in fall. During winter it's better."

Until alternate office arrangements are made, Kakee and her fellow employees will still go to work in the office everyday.

"We have to live with it," she said. "We have to work here so we have no choice."

The mould has been noticeable for about the past 10 years, according to Kakee. About two years ago, office workers began sending letters about the issue.

"The letters started going out not too long ago, maybe two or three years ago," Kakee said. "For sure I know one went to Public Service Alliance of Canada."

Steve Peterson, a health and safety representative for PSAC, said a letter from the housing manager in Pangnirtung had been received in January 2006. PSAC later sent a request to the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission in Iqaluit to see whether the commission was aware of the mould problem.

"I did send off a message to them asking if they have had a request to deal with mould," Peterson said. "I haven't gotten a response back yet."

Alternative office space has been planned, but Peterson said that could be a slow process.

"They are slated to have a new building built," he said. "But the health centre there has been a year and a half behind construction so it's probably going to be a while before they get that addressed, I would think."

Kakee said she had also been informed about the possibility of an alternate office, which was to be constructed within a new public housing unit. She said she was hoping it would be ready by next year.

John Corkett, district director for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, said the organization is aware of the mould problem, and that an alternative office is in the works.

"There is an arrangement to create new office space for them, an arrangement for a whole renovation of what we call, euphemistically, the downtown core of Pang," Corkett said. "It is proceeding according to our schedule."

He added the problem is not a health hazard.

Peterson said inspections are usually carried by the Workers' Safety and Compensation Committee to determine the extent of a mould problem.

"The issue is they are working in what could be a mouldy environment," Peterson said. "I don't know if anybody's gone in and actually inspected the mould. There are some moulds that are not as problematic as others."

Sylvester Wong, vice president of prevention services for the WSCC, said to his knowledge, the problem was unknown to the WSCC. He said mould is not uncommon in buildings in Nunavut because of thick insulation, poor ventilation systems and the effect of melting snow in the summer months.

"Over time, mould grows. That's a fact of life," he said. "Mould grows in moist and confined spaces."