The first resident has moved into the Thomson Centre.

The sounds of wailing fire alarms in the building Thursday afternoon stirred up rumours that the centre's opening would be delayed again.

However, Val Pike, the spokesperson for Yukon Hospital Corp., confirmed that the facility's first resident moved in at around 10:30 this morning. Three more residents are scheduled to move in by the end of the day.

Though the fire alarms went off Thursday afternoon, Pike said, crews had the faulty alarms fixed by early evening.

The facility will fill its 19 beds by Oct. 6. There are also 10 more beds ready to go.

However, the Department of Health and Social Services would have to request additional funding from the government for those beds to be occupied. Department spokesperson Pat Living could not say if or when officials might do this.

Living explained that the method of moving patients into the facility over a period of weeks or months is standard practice across the country.

It's done this way so residents have time to adjust to their new rooms, the building and all the staff, she said.

"If we dropped 19 residents into the facility in one day, I'm not sure everybody would get the attention they need,” she said.

The continuing care facility, which provides mid-level care ( three meals a day, nursing care, etc.), has 26 staff who will all be working as residents trickle in.

The facility was set to open on Aug. 19 but was delayed after an air quality test came back showing the building had slight traces of mould.

After another test was completed, it was determined the mould was coming from a leaky shower in the basement but was not severe enough to stop residents from moving in. The hospital corporation said it would fix the leaky shower problem it immediately.

The facility opened in 1993, costing the government $11.5 million.

In 2002, it closed due to problems with the roof and related mould from moisture.

In August 2006, the Yukon Party government said it would invest about $2 million to have the centre open in six months. That didn't happen due again to mould problems.

No one has lived in the facility since the summer of 2002, when residents were moved to the then-new Copper Ridge Place. The latest work on the building, completed by Graham Construction from Delta, B.C., was proposed to cost $2.3 million.