More than seven months after asbestos-containing plaster debris was discovered, McGill University’s 300-seat Moyse Hall theatre remains closed. Cleanup and decontamination work has begun, but management says the theatre won’t reopen before the holidays. Another setback: barely 2% of the 1,800-piece costume collection will be saved.
The Sherbrooke Street Arts Pavilion Theatre closed its doors last January after the discovery of “plaster debris and suspicious degraded materials” found behind the stage of the theatre, in the adjacent rooms where costumes and sets are stored, as well as in the basement below the theatre, where other storage rooms and classrooms are located.
Analysis of samples of this debris confirmed that they were contaminated with asbestos, a dangerous material when its fibres are released into the air and inhaled. In some cases, it can even cause lung cancer. McGill University management has therefore decided to close Moyse Hall Theatre, as well as all the rooms and passageways where the contaminated debris was found.
Erin Hurley, who is chair of the English literature department, confirmed to us that the university’s collection of 1,800 costumes is at risk of being almost entirely sacrificed.
This is a major loss for us. We have identified about 35 costumes that have particular value and that we will decontaminate, but the vast majority of them will be lost.
Erin Hurley, Chair of the Department of English Literature, McGill University
“The problem is that because the fabrics are very permeable, if asbestos fibers get into them, it will be very difficult to remove them. In any case, the decontamination process is very expensive,” continues Erin Hurley.
Most of the costumes in the Moyse Hall collection were designed on-site over the past 30 years under Bradley’s supervision, she says. “There are even some costumes that are in the McCord Museum collection, but we think we can get them back because they were stored in sealed boxes.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY
McGill University Drama Program Costume Designer Catherine Bradley in one of the costume storage rooms
According to Jerome Conraud, McGill University’s senior consultant in infrastructure management and strategic planning, no debris was found in the public-facing room. However, he is not able to know how long the contaminated plaster debris and degraded materials have been present in these areas or the degree of exposure to students, teachers or maintenance staff.
“We are not experts on exposure to asbestos-contaminated products or fibers,” Conraud said, “so we have referred concerned people who have been very active in these locations to health professionals.”
Students most affected
The theatre is primarily used by students in the English Literature Department’s drama program, Hurley explains. But many McGill faculties also have theatre companies that produce plays. “In total, there are about 150 students a year who are affected by the closure of this theatre,” she says, “not including the professional companies that rent the theatre.”
Last spring, the end-of-year production, Eurydicewas presented in a 50-seat auditorium in the Morrice Hall building.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Another room housing the stage costumes of the university’s drama program
“At least we sold out,” says the English literature department chair. But for the fall semester, Erin Hurley has decided there will be no production. “Acting and voice classes will be held in the Ferrier Building on campus,” she says. “There will be more hands-on classes, but in the current climate, we’re not going to repeat the experience of last winter.”
The work is progressing slowly. Jerome Conraud explains that the establishment had to follow several steps before proceeding with the decontamination of the premises.
We have a disaster service contract with PremièreAction. So, they were the ones who started by securing the premises and putting up containment barriers to clearly demarcate the areas that were contaminated. Then, they put in place a procedure for those who wanted to enter these areas.
Jerome Conraud, Senior Consultant, Infrastructure Management and Strategic Planning, McGill University
In March, this company made a service offer to McGill University to carry out all the work. Total cost: 3 million. “That’s a lot of money,” says Jerome Conraud. “So we called on an industrial hygiene specialist to help us distinguish the work that was really necessary, to better frame the discussions with our supplier. The goal was to challenge the service offer.”
High costs
From March to May, the English literature department took inventory of everything in the contaminated areas – costumes, sets, computers, various objects, etc. – in order to sort out what they absolutely wanted to keep and what they were prepared to sacrifice, “because the decontamination costs are high,” explains Mr. Conraud.
A decontamination area has been set up just outside the building to allow for cleanup. Demolition of some materials (such as basement ceiling tiles), decontamination, cleaning and rebuilding are scheduled to begin next week. “The theatre, along with all adjacent rooms and the basement, should reopen just before the holidays,” says Conraud.
The infrastructure manager agrees with the length and slowness of the work, but justifies the delays by the numerous procedures required by the university. He hopes that with the good advice of the firm specializing in industrial hygiene, the cost of the total bill will be less than 3 million. “That’s what we want, but we follow the steps necessary to do things properly.”