The community
Named after the Grand Chief Membertou (1510–1611), the Membertou First Nation belongs to the greater tribal group of the Mi’kmaw Nation. Membertou is an urban community situated 3 km (1.8 mi.) from the centre of Sydney, Nova Scotia. It has more than 1,100 residents and is one of five communities that make up the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. It is one of the five Mi’kmaw communities in Cape Breton and is within the tribal district of Unama’ki (Cape Breton).
Being next to an urban centre, Membertou has many advantages. For instance, it has access to the City of Sydney’s water and sewage systems. The community is also well connected by roads and a main highway giving it ready access to goods and services.

Mold Issues
The community has been tracking and dealing with mold since 1990. From 1990 to 2005, the community took care of mold in a total of 113 homes. Mold contamination was mainly related to:

  • Flooding problems—full basements had been built without considering foundation depth, grading and the location of the water table;
  • Poor construction practices and moisture management —lack of training and knowledge and pressure to build houses quickly;
  • Poor water management in bathrooms—windows in shower/tub stalls, toilet tanks with condensation, spilled water, poor water sealing around tubs and showers;
  • Poor ventilation—the wrong type of rang ...
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