The interior of an apartment in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, froze into an "ice castle" after the tenant left the heat off and pipes burst during extreme cold. CTV News video shows appliances, clothing and rooms encased in thick ice and icicles hanging from ceilings and cabinets. The property manager warned of water throughout ceilings and walls and a likely mold risk; the unit will be stripped, dried and rebuilt per insurance. The tenant had reportedly moved out months earlier, stopped paying rent and was officially evicted on Jan. 5.
Tenant’s Apartment Becomes an ‘Ice Castle’ After Heat Was Shut Off; Pipes Burst and Flooded Unit
CTV News/YouTubeIcicles hanging down from the kitchen cabinets inside the apartment
A tenant who left an apartment in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, without heat returned to find the interior frozen solid after burst pipes flooded the unit during extreme cold. Video published by CTV News shows rooms, appliances and belongings encased in thick layers of ice — an icy tableau described by property managers as unprecedented.
What Happened
The incident occurred in a triplex in Trois-Rivières, a city on the St. Lawrence River roughly midway between Montreal and Quebec City. When temperatures plunged, pipes in the unheated unit ruptured, sending water through ceilings, walls and floors. As the water spread, it froze into sheets of ice and formed icicles hanging from cabinets and ceilings; in one area the frozen water created a column-like sculpture reaching toward the ceiling.
Reaction From the Property Manager
Logispro Mauricie, the property management company that owns the building, said the damage is extreme. Jacques Nault told local outlet Noovo Info:
GettyTrois-Rivières, Quebec in the winter
"There is water in the ceilings, in the walls, everywhere. Mold will grow. We are going to strip, dry and rebuild according to what is covered by insurance."
According to the company, crews first discovered the ice while addressing a separate problem in a neighboring unit. The other apartments in the triplex were reportedly not affected.
Tenant And Aftermath
The tenant responsible was not publicly named. Local reports say they had moved out months earlier, stopped paying rent and were officially evicted on Jan. 5. People magazine contacted Logispro Mauricie for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Context
Weather Atlas lists January averages for Trois-Rivières at about 1°F for a low and 19°F for a high — conditions that contributed to the pipes freezing and bursting. Property managers say the unit will be stripped, dried and rebuilt as insurance allows, but they warn that mold and long-term structural damage are likely concerns.
Video Credit: CTV News (footage of the interior damage was published Jan. 5.)
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