Mouldy Melcor Centre a growing health, safety concern for hundreds

Mould, black widow spiders, silver fish and mice are a growing concern inside Lethbridge’s largest office complex. Since 2014 the building has flooded at least eight times causing a huge disruption in workflow and affecting the health of more than 200 provincial workers, not to mention the other private sector employees who work in the building. Bridge City News first reported the story in 2020, but since then the problem has grown increasingly worse.  Jeannette Rocher has the details.

*UPDATE: Following the story going to air BCN received an email response from the Office of the Minister of Infrastructure Acting Chief of Staff, Hadyn Place.

The statement reads as follows:
“Alberta’s government is one of a number of tenants leasing space from Melcor.  The property is managed by Braemore Management. As a building tenant, we report all property related incidents such as floods and leaks, to the landlord.
In any case related to a leak or a flood, a restoration company is hired by the landlord to mitigate, sanitize, make emergency repairs and perform indoor air quality testing to ensure there is a safe working environment. With acceptable indoor air quality results a project is then initiated to restore the impacted space. Where the Government of Alberta occupies leased space, cleanup and building remediation are the responsibility of the landlord.
Government of Alberta staff located on the impacted first and second floors have been directed to work from home.  Emergency accommodation plans are being implemented, including the possibility that some staff may be temporarily relocated to the Lethbridge Provincial Building.  Government of Alberta staff on other floors of the Melcor Lethbridge Centre not impacted by the flooding continue to work in the building.”

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