Access to basement restricted, pending extensive repairs
Updated Monday, Aug. 13 at 5 p.m.
George Brown College (GBC) reopened the doors of its Waterfront campus Monday, after flash flooding last Tuesday resulted in damages to two campuses.
A rainstorm in the evening of Aug. 7 left sections of Toronto drenched in water, causing property damage throughout the city.
Waterfront campus was forced to close its doors for a total of five days due to significant water damage and flooding on the main levels and in the basement.
According to GBC’s Director of Communications Brain Stock, emergency response teams were able to restore the main and upper levels of the building, the basement—which received the brunt of the damage—will remain closed until major repairs can be made.
Additionally, the northern entrance of the campus has been closed due to the flooding, while the parking lot elevator is now out of order until further notice. Students can access the building via the southern and eastern entrances.
The full extent of the damages to the Waterfront campus still remains unclear as assessment efforts are currently underway.
St. James campus was also closed briefly on Wednesday.
GBC has been working to ensure that all facilities are restored by the upcoming fall semester. However, Stock said that this may be an unrealistic goal.
Stock said that the affected facilities at Waterfront, such as the the student food bank, Student Association offices, call centre and student services desk were relocated to the St. James campus.
The Director of Communications said that any impacts to programs will be addressed between faculty and the students. Students are asked to stay tuned to Blackboard for further updates.
According to The Weather Network, the interaction of local weather patterns and a wave of tropical moisture were responsible for the sheer intensity of rain in concentrated areas last week. Parts of the downtown core and North York received the brunt of the storm, with some regions receiving over 120 mm of rain. This is a stark contrast to other areas that received less than 10 mm.
With files from Ashraf Dabie.
