Update on Stewart Biology Building

Since our previous update, extensive testing has taken place in the North Block of the building, and the affected areas have undergone comprehensive cleaning under asbestos safety protocols. Results so far are encouraging. Wipe tests have helped to guide and target our air-testing and cleaning efforts, and following our cleaning operation, all air tests have indicated that this area is now safe for use.

That said, further wipe tests performed after the clean-up have noted the presence of asbestos – though significantly less than before. So despite the excellent air test results, out of an abundance of caution we will initiate a second round of cleaning in areas where these trace amounts were found in post-cleaning wipe tests.

Following this additional cleaning, we will once again test the air, and if all is well, the North Block of the building will re-open – potentially sometime next week. After the North Block re-opens, we will continue to monitor the situation with regular air testing.

In the South Block, flood damage remediation remains ongoing.

You can expect another update on both the North and South Blocks next Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

We know that this situation has caused major disruptions to teaching and research activities, and that safety concerns have forced us to keep the building closed longer than we had initially hoped. I want to assure you that we are moving through these testing and cleaning phases as quickly as we feel we can while protecting the safety of our community. Please continue to bear with us as we work toward a safe re-opening.

Pierre Barbarie,
Senior Director, Campus Public Safety, on behalf of the Emergency Operations Centre