The coroner service is investigating a death in an elderly residential facility that went unnoticed for days.
Assistant regional coroner Donita Kuzma said there was nothing suspicious about the passing of the unidentified person, and the matter was not otherwise unusual.
However her services were nonetheless called in due to the circumstances.
"It had been a few days that this person had been deceased," she said. "It can be common for the coroner's service to be called to a place where someone has passed away but was not noticed for some time."
The deceased person was a resident of the Spruceland Building, officially addressed to 1010 Liard Drive.
Kuzma said the facility was not providing ongoing supervision.
"Not everyone has the kind of support system that includes daily visits inside the home by their loved ones," she said. "The people who live in that section of that building do so in a totally independent fashion, so if people knocked on the door and got no answer, or phoned and got no answer it would not necessarily indicate a problem right away."
The building is owned by Northern Health and is on the grounds of the Rainbow group of programs, all for elders.
"It is butted right up against Rainbow but it is stand-alone, there is no access between the two buildings," said Northern Health spokeswoman Eryn Collins.
"It is independent seniors housing. The relationship for Northern Health is landlord-tenant only," she said.
Collins said the complex around the Spruceland Building actually contains many different programs independent of one another.
Rainbow Adult Day Centre provides social and recreational opportunities for seniors from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Simon Fraser Lodge (SFL) leases one wing of the building for a set of elders who normally live at the main SFL facility, which is currently undergoing a lot of construction. SFL provides complex care, around the clock.
The Legion Wing occupies another large portion of the overall facility and provides supportive housing programs for seniors with mental health or addictions issues.
