Faulty furnace forces Aklavik, N.W.T., elders to rely on wood stove

An elder living in Aklavik, N.W.T., says he and his wife have been dealing with a faulty furnace for the past 14 months — and the situation is wearing them down. 

Danny C. Gordon, 87, said the furnace is a replacement from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) in 2022, but right after it was installed, he knew there was a problem. It became too hot, wouldn't regulate the temperature of the home, and stayed on for 55 minutes. 

"It's only supposed to be on for maybe 15 minutes at a time," he said. 

Gordon said when the furnace is on, the furnace room becomes so hot the floor can't be touched. 

"When we stepped on the heat duct, it got so hot it could have burned my skin. That's how hot it was," said Gordon, referring to the duct vents in his home. 

Gordon said he is not a certified furnace repairman, but he did training in Leduc for six months as part of an old job. He believes the fire pot in the furnace is faulty and needs to be replaced. 

Gordon said he's afraid the furnace is going to explode or start a fire, so he and his 82-year-old wife, Annie, have been relying on their wood stove instead. 

Using the wood stove, however, is an arduous task. 

Gordon said he or his wife will wake up as early as 4 a.m. to put wood in the stove to stay warm. It's a real challenge for Annie, who has mobility challenges. 

"My wife can't walk well so she sits in a chair on wheels and slides over the 20-pound log into the fire," he said. 

Gordon said he and his wife are only able to sleep five hours a night. He's mentally exhausted, he said, and she needs more rest. They're both too tired to keep this up, he said. 

Making matters worse, Gordon said Annie fell earlier this month and injured her leg. She was sent to Inuvik for treatment, but Gordon said he can't join her for fear their house will freeze. 

"Since this September, I have spent $1,800 on firewood," he said. 

Collecting firewood is something Gordon used to be able to do for himself, but he doesn't have the strength to start a chainsaw anymore. He said he's having difficulty finding anyone to go and get wood for them for less than $1,000.