A fire has destroyed the Government of Nunavut building in Gjoa Haven.
Hector Nargyak, the community’s fire chief, says his department saw smoke and flames coming from the one-storey building when they were called to the blaze shortly before noon on Saturday.
Nargyak says it burned for over 13 hours while his crew poured water on the fire, and at one point there were blasts from exploding tanks.
No one was injured, he says, and no surrounding structures were threatened.
Mayor Megan Porter says the building housed government services ranging from the department of motor vehicles to probation services.
Porter says she hasn’t heard yet how services from the territory’s government will be affected by the loss of the building.
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