At approximately 3 p.m. on March 18 a fire was discovered by the staff at the Baffin Correctional Centre, according to the Department of Justice.
Inmates and personnel were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported. The fire has since been extinguished and the RCMP have begun investigating.
The Dept. of Justice will be assessing the full extent of the damage in the upcoming days and will work with stakeholders to identify options going forward.
“Our thanks go out to the hard-working fire fighters at the City of Iqaluit, other first responders, and the corrections staff who reacted quickly to ensure the safety and health of everyone at the facility,” said George Hickes, Nunavut’s minister of Justice.
Updates will be provided as they become available.