Six Nations of the Grand River is looking at either remodelling the mold-infected Gane Yohs health centre or rebuilding it entirely and Indigenous Services Canada has agreed to foot the bill.
That’s accordion to Senior Administrative Officer Nathan Wright, who told council’s general finance committee on Monday they met with Health Minister Patty Hajdu in late June after a discrepancy in who actually owned the building – Six Nations or Indigenous Services Canada (ISC).
Gane Yohs was built in 1982 for $1 million and was originally operated by Health and Welfare Canada. New additions were added in 2022 and 2023.
The building has been closed since April 23rd due to the discover of black mold throughout the building.
Services have been relocated to various spots throughout the community.
The mold was discovered after inspections were carried out at numerous band-owned buildings in the spring, which also revealed overgrowths of mold at those buildings and required evacuation and remediation.
Many of the services at Gane Yohs were transferred to the nearby White Pines Wellness Centre.
“ISC had insisted they weren’t the owners and band council insisted they weren’t the owners,” said Wright.
He said SNGR did research to determine they weren’t the owners of the building.
ISC continues to carry the responsibility of the building and that includes operations and maintenance and upkeep, Wright said.
ISC is currently administering medical services, public health, sexual health, and lab services on Six Nations.
ISC had originally told Six Nations that Gane Yohs was not under its list of assets.
“We’ve done our research as well and it’s not under our list of assets, as well,” said Wright.
On June 25th, the chief’s office held a meeting with the health minister and she said ISC would cover the cost of a new building or remediation, regardless of ownership.
Wright said ISC will fast track an assessment to determine if the building should be remediated or if they should go forward with a new building altogether.
“We’ve already started the assessment,” he said. “We now have to do some structural assessments. The work is going to lead us to the conclusion that we need a new building.”
He said ISC will cover the costs.
The Gane Yohs project team includes Debra Jonathan, Holly Smith, Robert Hill, Derek Hill, Public Works Director Michael Montour, Vince Longboat and SNGR Senior Administrative Officer Nathan Wright.
The Gane Yohs project has also prompted the possibility of future political discussions about Six Nations taking over public health services from ISC.
Mold was found in the walls, ceilings and leaking onto floors, said Wright.
He said an exposed wall in the building is “just all black.”
Any possible new build will be bigger than the current Gane Yohs structure, too.
Wright said, “I don’t think a single-floor building will be adequate. We’ll be looking at multiple floors.”
Wright said they would try to build where the existing Gane Yohs location is but that they would go up a couple of floors.
After the building assessment is completed, a community engagement plan will be developed, said Wright.
