Activity centre closed due to mould problem

November 2, 2006

ChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter

Programs at a Cole Harbour activity centre are on hold for a couple

of weeks while severe mould problems are cleaned up.

The Box, the aptly named square bunker at 2131 Cole Harbour Rd., is

home to a few local recreation programs and a monthly coffee house

for teenagers.

The city can't take any chances by keeping the building open,

O'Brien, corporate communications manager, said Monday.

" Obviously, as soon as we discovered it, we shut the building down. "

About three weeks ago, mould was discovered in the basement on

drywall, wooden panels and stored materials when a staff member went

downstairs to retrieve a stored chair.

The cause was attributed to a leaky pipe in the building's furnace

room.

But because the basement is not used on a regular basis, a lot of

water seeped into the room and caused significant mould damage

before it was discovered.

The mould growth includes stachybotrys chartarum, known to

cause `sick building syndrome,' but no one has become ill because of

contact with the fungus, Mr. O'Brien said.

" It wasn't in an area where staff would normally be, " he said.

Last Friday, the city advertised an emergency tender to clean up the

site and held a meeting there with prospective contractors early

Monday morning.

Work, expected to start soon, will likely take two to three weeks,

with the bill expected to reach about $50,000, Mr. O'Brien said.

That includes cleaning the air exchange and heating systems and

replacing drywall in the basement.

" Mould is mould, and to follow proper procedure, you do the whole

thing — all the ventilation, all the ductwork, everything — just to

ensure that it didn't get in, " Mr. O'Brien said.

While fall recreation classes at The Box — such as beginner karate

and preschool playtime — will continue through arrangements with

other local clubs, a band night for grades nine through 12 has been

cancelled for October and possibly November.

( apugsley@...)

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