A pharmacy and two dental offices closed since Feb. 22 at Jubilee and Ingram Streets in downtown Duncan have been reopened following risk assessment and decontamination of asbestos reportedly found in the building.
Cowichan Valley Dental Group and Mountview Dental opened Thursday, March 3, with Mann’s Pharmacy expected to open later in the day.
No date has been set for reopening Valley Medical Clinic as Propacific Hazmat Service continued work this week.
A verbal stop work order was issued Monday, Feb. 22 by WorkSafeBC.
According to WorkSafeBC, vermiculite contamination began in damaged areas of the cinder block-constructed interior walls and subsequently workspaces as well as having a presence in the air plenum (part of the air circulation system), with a particular asbestos presence in the clinic.
A makeshift clinic is running nearby at 256 Evans St. while decontamination goes on at the Jubilee Street location.
Doyle Childs who owns the holding company which owns the building said that the green light for the non-clinic areas was given this week by WorkSafeBC.
“The important thing is they’re not going to let anybody in unless it’s safe and they’ve [WorkSafeBC] given us the indication that the asbestos was contained within a small area and that it’d be safe to open up all these other areas,” Childs said, though the clinic will take longer to assess and decontaminate. “We’re working hard.”
Trish Knight Chernecki with WorkSafeBC confirmed the medical clinic will remain closed until completion of all necessary work.
“The site will remain closed pending a risk assessment, decontamination work and a post abatement assessment of the respective work,” she said.
