The courthouse opened in may 2010, but it didn’t take long for the slate tile roof to become an issue.
Tiles being blown off the roof during high winds prompted the erection of safety fencing around the building's perimeter and temporary alcoves at every entrance just months after it was opened. During one incident prior to the safety measures being taken, a visitor to the courts was nearly struck by a falling tile.
During another windstorm last December, more tile was blown off.
Was it a design flaw?
Since then, the province and the contractor, Allied Construction, have been disputing whether it was an original design flaw or the installation of the materials that is causing the trouble. While that has yet to be figured out, the province did hire another contractor, Brook Construction, to remove the remaining tiles until a solution is reached.
Transportation and Works Minister Tom Henderson has said the intention is to have the stone tiles put back, but the building still has a temporary system of wooden slats on its roof for the time being.
The Western Star requested an update from the province Friday. Hedderson was unavailable for an interview, but his department did issue an emailed statement.
“A consultant was hired to examine roofing options and the results of that work were received by the department in August and are currently being reviewed, with an eye to installing a roof on the courthouse this fall,” read the statement. “The Department of Transportation and Works remains hopeful an agreement can be reached with the contractor who installed the slate roof.”
gkean@thewesternstar.com
Twitter: WS_GaryKean
