Toronto Metropolitan University's Independent Student Newspaper Since 1967

All News

ILLC shut after flooding

By Michael Chen

On the night of Nov. 2, a sewage pipe backup caused the International Living and Learning Centre (ILLC) to shut down its first floor and parking garage.

Maggie’s Eatery and the affected classrooms are closed for restoration.

Mitigation crews were immediately called to handle the risk of contamination from moisture.

“They continued that work in taking down damaged drywall, moldy carpets,” said Chad Nuttall, manager for student housing services.

He said it was the main sewer line that runs along Mutual Street which disconnected and backed up their line.

“Obviously that sewage had nowhere to go and just started backing up the pipe and then eventually it would start coming out the drains on the first floor,” said Nuttall.

The domestic fresh water in the building had to be turned off the next day to prevent more water from flooding the first floor.

Showers and washrooms were made available at Pitman Hall for the ILLC students during the day.

After staff did an inspection, the water supply was restored Thursday evening.

Nuttall said the extent of damages and the cost will not be known until later this week.

“There’s a great deal of damage on the first floor and the parking garage so we’re certainly preparing a claim that will go through insurance,” he said.

The eight classes originally on the first floor had to be relocated to classrooms in Kerr Hall East, Eric Palin Hall, Victoria building, Ted Rogers School of Management and Sally Horsfall Eaton Centre. Parking was also redirected to Pitman Hall.

Pitman Hall’s cafeteria is now open on weekends.

Maggie’s staff will work at Pitman and other campus locations will stay open longer.

Krissatya Wisesa, a first-year business management student, finds that Pitman has fewer vegetarian options.

“I feel like you’re downgrading by eating [at Pitman] because everything is different. At Maggie’s, they had a vegetarian menu,” said Wisesa.

Rebecca East, a first-year image arts student, said she misses the home-cooked meals at Maggie’s.

Before Pitman, she “was about to call Student Housing Services and call them for money from my meal plan so that I could buy groceries.”

 

Leave a Reply