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NUNAVUT
There is no way to predict when or where the next big fire will happen, but Nunavut's former fire marshal says every building in Nunavut is at risk.

"Every building that has been built in Nunavut, there has not been a building inspector there to ensure it was built to code. Every building," Tony Noakes asserted, adding there is only one inspector for the territory and that person cannot possibly be on every construction and renovation site.

"We're talking high-rises, low-rises, residential - you name it. Even though the contractors do their best to ensure it's up to code, there's no one there to oversee or double-check."

The Creekside Village - or White Row - buildings were on a list of flagged properties Noakes presented to the minister of Community and Government Services before he was fired for bringing problems to light. He now lives in Kingston, Ont., and works as a hazardous materials technician.

"I think I recall a fire inspector or a planning review that was done in the early 2000s that said there were several fire safety issues with those units," he said. "Whether or not they got completed, I'm not sure."

According to its website, Nunastar Properties recently spent $2.5 million on renovating the Creekside Village homes.

"They really look after their stuff and try to keep it up to date," acting fire chief Chris Wilson said. "They've put a lot of money into sprinklers and alarms. The hallway, I've been in many times, and it was fully drywalled and sprinklered and the maintenance was excellent."

But Noakes thinks there must have been something wrong, perhaps in the original construction.

"Obviously the fire separations through the firewalls between the buildings led to the devastation," he said. "There's supposed to be at least 45 minutes separation between occupancies. The fire department's just down the road. A response time here in the south, 10 firefighters in 10 minutes can usually stop a fire such as that within 20 minutes or half an hour."

Current fire marshal Robert Prima did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Those who are concerned about the safety of their own home, Noakes recommends checking for standpipes, fire extinguishers in each hallway, heat and smoke detectors in hallways, stairwells and on each level, and working fire alarms. Concerned renters should talk to their landlord.

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