At least 36 families displaced by fire that destroyed Iqaluit apartment building, says Nunavut gov't

A fire that broke out Wednesday night has completely destroyed an apartment building in Iqaluit. 

The fire at 1088 Noble House on Mivvik Street started just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday. At around 8:30 p.m., the fire intensified and flames could be seen from outside the building, RCMP said in a press release Thursday afternoon. 

By 1 a.m. Thursday morning, police said, the entire building had collapsed. 

RCMP said all people living in the building had been evacuated, and there had been no reports of anyone missing or injured. 

In a statement Thursday, the Nunavut government said 36 families were displaced by the fire, along with several businesses. It said the Nunavut Housing Corporation is leading efforts to help those who lost their homes.

Nick Clark, the vice-president of infrastructure for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, told CBC News the government had leased 37 of the apartment units for staff, though one was vacant. He wasn't sure how many commercial units were in the building. 

He said 26 of the staff members who lived there were in hotels already, and that the territory was still trying to reach others. "Some of them still could have been out of town," he said. 

'I will not abandon my dream,' says business owner

Shereese Porter, who lived in one of the units with her family, told CBC News they'd lost everything they'd accumulated since moving to Canada seven years ago. 

"I had to explain that to my six year old," she said. "I don't think she fully understands what's happening yet." 

Porter, meanwhile, said she's feeling numb. 

"I'm just trying to lean on the positive side that we're alive," she said. Porter said she's also thankful for the way the community has wrapped its support around those who have been displaced. 

"This feels like family," she said. 

Ernestine Ngelah owned an African food store, Mah's Amazing Choice, which had also been in the building.

She said she saw the smoke Wednesday evening and thought firefighters would be able to get the fire under control – "that's why we didn't even bother to go in and grab things." 

"And then all of a sudden everything went down," she said. "I was there watching the building going down. I felt terrible." 

Opening the business up more than a year ago had been a dream come true. Now, Ngelah said, all the hard work she put into it has been lost. But already, she's trying to rebuild. 

Ngelah said it's difficult to find a place for a business in Iqaluit, but she's looking for one already. 

"I will not abandon my dream," she said. 

City thanks Iqalummiut for outpouring of support

Clark, from the Nunavut Housing Corporation, said the territory had eight units available to house displaced staff, and that it was searching for both long- and short-term solutions. 

"It is certainly a devastating impact to our community," he said. 

The City of Iqaluit posted an update Thursday morning saying teams had been working throughout the night to take care of residents' safety and well-being. 

The city said a warming shelter at Cadet Hall remained open Thursday morning, with donated clothing, food, snacks and help available to those displaced by the fire. 

"In challenging moments like these, the compassion and generosity of our community shine the brightest," the city said, thanking those who had made contributions to the relief effort. 

The city also said city hall would have limited services on Thursday because staff had been redirected to help with the fire's aftermath. It asked people not to visit city hall and, instead, to contact the city by phone or use its online services to pay bills and ask questions. 

Police say they're helping the Iqaluit Fire Department and the Nunavut Fire Marshal's office investigate what happened. They did not say whether the fire was considered suspicious.