'They deserve a safe place': AUPE says Lethbridge's Melcor building is dangerous

Lethbridge's Melcor Centre has gone through quite a lot recently.
With eight floods since 2014, and four so far this year, it's seen an extensive amount of damage in a short time.
The floods have caused several tenants of the office building on Fourth Avenue South to be flooded out or closed, including a section that houses Alberta Health Services' employees.
However, vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) South Region Darren Graham says there is more to be concerned about regarding the floods.
"The floods that have happened in our area have actually happened above the suspended ceiling and caused ceiling tiles to come crashing down on workers’ desks, in meeting rooms, in file rooms," Graham said. “That’s a huge concern because one of the big offices there is children services. We also have Alberta Health Services with our members working in them."
So far, the falling ceiling tiles haven’t caused any injuries, but Graham is worried that if someone were to be hit, it would cause some serious injuries or worse.
"If it was a small child they could even be potentially killed. It's a real concern, not only for our members' safety but for the public's safety too,” Graham said.
When the waterlogged ceiling tiles fall, they can weigh up to 50 pounds.
Even if they aren't causing injuries, it's a significant amount of damage that needs to be fixed.

MORE PROBLEMS AT MELCOR
While the floods are a big cause for concern, it's not the only thing AUPE is worried about.
"We've had other issues with people being stuck in elevators, stairwell issues, we've seen concrete drop off some of the areas within the parkade," Graham said.
"So there's a variety of issues that we’re concerned with."
The unsafe conditions of the building has Graham hoping that the government workers using the offices will leave the building.
"We really just want the government of Alberta to get out of the lease and to find different facilities for our members to work in and serve the public.
"The citizens of Lethbridge and surrounding areas deserve that – they deserve a safe place to go."

A representative of Melcor Developments, in a request for a statement from CTV News, said the leak in the building was caused by equipment that was installed by another tenant.
Melcor says its own property manager, Braemore Management Ltd., took steps to deal with the problems, including hiring a plumber to fix a leak and remediate the damage caused by the flooding.
It also says Occupational Health and Safety is involved.
"An OH&S investigation has been initiated, and Melcor and Braemore are working in full cooperation in the investigation and have provided all materials (blue prints, maintenance records, etc.) requested," said Nicole Forsythe, director of corporate communications for Melcor in an emailed statement.
The company says all three leaks that were reported were due to the air eliminators that were installed in various locations of the units occupied by AUPE.
It adds that the issue that caused the flooding in the building has been fixed.
"We have reached an agreement with the internal government infrastructure manager to test the air eliminators twice yearly to prevent future issues."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feds quietly change rules to allow one-time ArriveCAN exemption at land border crossings
The Canadian Border Services Agency is temporarily allowing fully vaccinated travellers a one-time exemption to not be penalized if they were unaware of the health documents required through ArriveCan.

Prosecutor: Stab attack on Salman Rushdie was 'preplanned'
The man accused in the stabbing attack on Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty Saturday to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a 'preplanned' crime, as the renowned author of 'The Satanic Verses' remained hospitalized with serious injuries.
Average rent up more than 10% in July from previous year, report says
Average rent in Canada for all properties rose more than 10 per cent year-over-year in July, according to a recent nationwide analysis of listings on Rentals.ca.
More than 10,000 Canadians received a medically-assisted death in 2021: report
More Canadians are ending their lives with a medically-assisted death, says the third federal annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAID). Data shows that 10,064 people died in 2021 with medical aid, an increase of 32 per cent over 2020.
LAPD ends investigation into Anne Heche car crash
The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident, when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Canadian literary figures double down on free speech following Salman Rushdie attack
Canadian writers, publishers and literary figures doubled down on the right to freedom of thought and expression on Saturday, one day after an attack on award-winning author Salman Rushdie that left him hospitalized and on a ventilator.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.
Parent of child with rare form of epilepsy distressed over N.S. ER closures
Kristen Hayes lives close to the hospital in Yarmouth, N.S., but she says that twice in the past month, her son, who has a rare form of epilepsy, has been taken by ambulance to the emergency room there, only to be left waiting.
140 lightning-caused wildfires detected in B.C. over last 3 days, service says
Lightning has sparked more than 100 new wildfires in British Columbia since Wednesday, as thunderstorms rolled through the provincial Interior.