North

Another Yellowknife health clinic closes due to mechanical issues

The Frame Lake health clinic in Yellowknife closed on Wednesday as a result of heating issues in the building. 

The closure comes as the city's health centres are operating over capacity due to influenza, RSV and COVID-19

A building in winter.
The Frame Lake Community Health Clinic in Yellowknife on Wednesday. (Luke Carroll/CBC)

The Frame Lake health clinic in Yellowknife closed on Wednesday as a result of heating issues in the building. 

This is the second health clinic in the past week to experience some sort of mechanical issues during the cold snap that's hitting the N.W.T. It also comes as health centres, including the hospital, are over capacity due to influenza, RSV and COVID-19. 

The primary care clinic in downtown Yellowknife just began reopening services Tuesday after closing from a flood on Saturday. The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority said at the time that some appointments for the primary care clinic would be moved to the Frame Lake clinic.  

A sign on glass.
A sign at the Frame Lake health clinic Wednesday announcing the closure. (Luke Carroll/CBC)

The building issues and subsequent closures also come as the territory warns that the hospital has been operating past capacity 

On Friday, the health authority said patient numbers have exceeded Stanton Hospital's bed capacity and patients at the emergency department will be triaged based on the urgency of their symptoms. 

The NTHSSA said in a news release on Wednesday that the Frame Lake health centre is located in a leased facility and next steps and reopening date and "will be determined after the property manager is able to determine a timeline to restore heat to the building."

No details on what caused the heating issue were included.