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Larga Baffin, the Ottawa facility that houses Nunavummiut when in the south for medical treatment, is moving into a bigger building. - photo courtesy of Lynn Kilabuk

Larga Baffin expanding capacity
New facility more than triples size to ease past overflowing problems

Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, September 7, 2015

OTTAWA
Overwhelmed with demand since opening, Ottawa's Larga Baffin is expanding into a new facility that can accommodate more than triple the number of people than its previous location.

"Currently we're located in a facility that can house up to 81 people, and we've been over capacity since we moved here in 2009," said Lynn Kilabuk, president of Larga Baffin.

"The board of directors and management have been looking for a larger facility to be able to accommodate the growth that we've been seeing."

Some days, the old facility would see demand for 200 people more than it could fit, said Kilabuk. It was regularly 30 per cent over capacity. All extra guests had to be housed in the nearby Travelodge hotel.

"We've secured a building where we would have 103 rooms," said Kilabuk.

Up to 275 people will be able to fit under one roof in the new facility, which is just down the street fromthe old one.

She said Larga Baffin, which houses, transports and treats Baffin Island residents who are in the south for medical care, is very important to Nunavummiut.

"Since the beginning we've been using two locations and logistically it's been a bit of a stretch," said Kilabuk. "To ensure service quality, we want it all to be under one building."

Moving into a whole new facility isn't as expensive as one might believe, she added, considering that housing overflow in the Travelodge hasn't been cheap before.

"It actually makes more sense," said Kilabuk. "It will be cheaper than running out of two locations. This will actually be more feasible."

Getting everyone under one roof will make operations smoother, she said.

Larga Baffin will have access to the new facility in October, but it's targeting November for getting fully operational and everyone under one roof.

Kilabuk said she's looking forward to the new location.

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