A special Maclean’s investigation by Michael Friscolanti
Maclean’s writer Michael Friscolanti is in Elliot Lake for the start of the public inquiry into the collapse of the Algo Centre. Watch Macleans.ca for his reports.
Last summer, Canadians held their collective breath as rescuers dug through the rubble of the Elliot Lake mall for two women trapped beneath the collapsed roof. Their bodies would be pulled from the concrete five days later.
What happened at the Algo Centre is about to be dissected at a public inquiry set to begin March 4, but a new ebook by Maclean’s Senior Writer Michael Friscolanti (available here) reveals the disturbing backstory of a building that was literally doomed before it even existed.
Drawing from court documents, property records, inspection reports and dozens of interviews with the people who lived it, Doomed: The Untold Story Behind the Collapse of the Elliot Lake Mall, tells the shocking backstory of a mall that was cursed before it even existed, a star-crossed structure plagued by dreadful timing, dubious decisions and a collective case of wilful blindness. The 14,000-word investigative piece, available here, uncovers stunning details about the building’s troubled history and the people now forever linked to its demise.
Among the revelations:
This is the story of one mall in one small town—but it is a tale that every Canadian should care about. The disaster that struck Elliot Lake could happen anywhere else, at any moment.