Nova Scotia·NewCape Breton Regional Municipality is shutting down city hall for 44 days to allow a contractor time to replace the aging heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, which the building manager said last year is in “critical condition.”Shutdown to last 44 days with equipment said to be in ‘critical condition’ Tom Ayers · CBC News · Posted: Sep 11, 2025 2:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoCape Breton Regional Municipality is shutting down city hall for 44 days to allow a contractor to replace the aging HVAC system, including heavy equipment on the roof. (Tom Ayers/CBC)In a surprise move, Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s city hall in Sydney is shutting down for about six weeks while the old heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is replaced.Last year, CBRM had budgeted $1 million for the work and according to the tender document, it was supposed to be done without closing the building.But the only tender bid came in at $1.7 million, which delayed the job until this year, and municipal officials say it’s an occupational health and safety issue to have people in the building with the electricity shut off and no air circulation.Chief administrative officer Demetri Kachafanas told council on Tuesday that starting next week, some staff will work from home and others will work elsewhere.”City hall is going to be accessible during scheduled times and all departments are going to remain accessible via email and phone,” he said. “We’re going to try to make this as seamless as we can and keep services being provided to the public.”Kachafanas said residents who pay tax and water bills in person will likely be able to do so at the Centre 200 arena.HVAC system in ‘critical condition’Next week’s council meeting will still be held at city hall, but after that they will be held at the arena.In August 2024, parks and buildings manager Jamie Gillis told council the 50-year-old HVAC system was in dire need of replacement.”Our system on the roof here is in critical condition,” he said. “It has been for quite a long time.”Gillis said there are two units so that one is always available to work as a backup, but both are ready to fail.”To put it off until next spring, we’re just inviting possible disaster … I don’t think we really have the time to postpone it any longer.”Chief administrative officer Demetri Kachafanas announced the closure of city hall this week after CBRM quietly awarded the $1.7-million tender in March. (Tom Ayers/CBC)Some councillors objected to the higher cost because of the tender bid and suggested delaying the project to issue a new tender in hopes of getting a lower quote.At the time, Coun. Eldon MacDonald said that would be risky.”I can see this being delayed another year,” he said.”If that piece of equipment fails in the next two or three or four months, we’re going to be in an emergency and we’re going to be finding the money to do it.”Coun. Eldon MacDonald voted last year to have work on the HVAC system start right away, but a council motion on that was lost due to a tie vote, so the tender was not awarded until this year. (Tom Ayers/CBC)Because of a tie vote, council took no action last year, but in March 2025, CBRM quietly awarded the tender for $1.7 million to Brilun Construction.Kachafanas announced the impending 44-day closure of city hall at this week’s committee of the whole meeting.Some of the councillors were not in office last year, but even re-elected councillors did not question this week why the building has to close, despite the tender document requiring the contractor to keep it open.In an interview, Mayor Cecil Clarke said the work will require the electricity to be shut off and dust could be a problem with ceiling tiles being disturbed.Mayor Cecil Clarke says the work will cost CBRM more than the $1.7-million tender because staff are being displaced, but he doesn’t know what the extra cost will be. (Tom Ayers/CBC)”They have to get into all the areas where the existing duct work is in place,” he said. “It means shutting down the system so you have no air circulation at all throughout the building.”Clarke also said cranes may disrupt traffic while heavy equipment on the roof is replaced.He said it’ll cost even more than the $1.7-million contract, with staff and departments being relocated, but the mayor did not know what that would be.However, the extra cost will be recovered with better heating and air conditioning, Clarke said.”The building system is inefficient and it’s costing us a lot of money. We have excessive waste right now in certain areas of the building that are inefficiently operating. Very expensive in the wintertime, with people using heaters under desks and other things.”ABOUT THE AUTHORTom Ayers has been a reporter and editor for 39 years. He has spent the last 21 covering Cape Breton and Nova Scotia stories. You can reach him at tom.ayers@cbc.ca.
CBRM’s city hall to temporarily close to replace aging HVAC equipment
