Raymond Octagon 4th-floor classrooms reopen November 14th

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 – which included openings between tiles – presented a risk of asbestos fibres being released during the work.

Update on air testing

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.

University response to the report on asbestos-related closures at Macdonald Campus

Please find a message from Principal and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini below, followed by a message from Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi.

Dear members of the McGill community,

Basement of Octagon in Raymond Building Reopens September 11

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.

Update on Internal Audit investigation

Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,

I know that this week’s 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 McGill’s senior leadership is aware of the problems and remains focused on resolving them.

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.

Operational Update August 29, 2023

Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,

Further to yesterday’s 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) *:

Operational Constraints Fall 2023

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.

Status of the investigation into the building closures

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.

Testing reports now available online

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.

Raymond re-opening

We can confirm that a significant part of the Raymond building will re-open Friday, March 31, 2023, including nearly all classrooms.

Timeline for Raymond building reopening

I know that many students and instructors are eager to know when the classrooms in the Raymond building (classrooms whose numbers begin with “R” in the Octagon) will re-open. The process of re-opening is more complicated than re-opening the Macdonald-Stewart and Barton buildings because of the Octagon’s proximity to the construction site. We expect to be able to announce a timeline next week.

Answering your questions

Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,

Thank you to everyone who joined us for last week’s 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.

Summary of the Town Hall Presentation

In case you were not able to attend today’s Town Hall, I am sharing some information from the presentation I gave today.

Before moving into a summary of the presentation, I want to acknowledge the uncertainty and disruption caused by the closures. We have taken the first step along the path in re-opening Barton and most of the Macdonald-Stewart closures, but we recognize that work remains. As we re-open, our focus is on the health and safety of everyone who uses the buildings.

Investigation into events leading to Macdonald Campus building closures

I have been closely following the situation involving the closure of the Raymond, Barton, and Macdonald-Stewart buildings on McGill’s 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.