At the start of the semester, we had to close access to the Raymond Octagon 4th-floor classrooms unexpectedly. Debris of asbestos-containing plaster had been found in the cavity between the roof and the ceiling of two of the classrooms as we prepared for necessary work on the roof. This work, combined with the design of the ceiling 鈥 which included openings between tiles 鈥 presented a risk of asbestos fibres being released during the work.
When we reopened the Raymond, Macdonald-Stewart and Barton buildings in March 2023, we established a temporary air testing program that consisted of testing for the presence of airborne asbestos in more than 35 areas across the complex. This testing program was not a regulatory requirement but rather put in place out of an abundance of caution.
Please find a message from Principal and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini below, followed by a message from Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi.
A message from Principal and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini
Dear members of the 9I制作厂免费 community,
I have been closely following the situation involving the closure of the Raymond, Barton, and Macdonald-Stewart buildings on 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 Macdonald Campus. I have heard many of the concerns shared by our community members, and I agree that it is essential for us to ensure we have the fullest possible understanding of this situation.
We are glad to inform you that the basement of the Octagon section of the Raymond Building is open again as of Monday, Sept. 11.
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,
I know that this week鈥檚 news of construction-related classroom closures in the Raymond building has made for a frustrating start to the new academic year for many of you. It is especially disappointing given the ongoing disruptions the community has experienced as a result of construction work.
I want to assure you that 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 senior leadership is aware of the problems and remains focused on resolving them.
August 30, 2023 鈥 Update and impact of construction activities at the Raymond Building
In June, we wrote to inform you that some of the work related to the major renovation project underway at the Raymond Building had restarted, mainly exterior work, including the replacement of the roof.
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,
Further to yesterday鈥檚 message regarding the inaccessibility of certain classrooms and subsequent reassignments, I can confirm that the classroom revisions can now be found on Minerva. I invite instructors and students to consult their Minerva schedule to find the updated room numbers and locations.
The following locations have been added to the list of classrooms (buildings maps linked in the table below) *:
Building |
Room |
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,
As we transition from summer to a new academic year, I would like to warmly welcome new and returning Macdonald Campus community members and wish you all a good start to the fall term.
As instructors and students prepare for the start of classes, I must regretfully inform you that, due to unexpected construction-related issues, the following Macdonald Campus classrooms are temporarily inaccessible: R1-042, R4-045, R4-046/048, R4-047.
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,
I am writing to update you on the progress of the investigation into the asbestos-related building closures at Macdonald Campus.
The reports from the testing done during the February 2023 closure of the Stewart Biology Building are now available online. You will find the reports on the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) website. We will continue to post the results from the monthly air tests undertaken since the reopening.
The reports from the testing done just before and during the recent closure of the Raymond, Barton and Macdonald-Stewart buildings are now available online. You will find the reports on the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) website. We will continue to post the results from the weekly air tests undertaken since the reopening.
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for last week鈥檚 Town Hall. We have received quite a few questions, and we will answer as many as we can in the coming days in FAQ, with updates flagged by date.
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Yesterday, we announced that the Macdonald-Stewart and Barton Buildings would open today. Barton will indeed fully reopen today, but during a final inspection of Macdonald-Stewart, it was determined that the southern half of the first floor of that building must remain closed a while longer, due to the presence of equipment and temporary structures obstructing hallways.
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,