Markham Facilities Update

Dear Markham community,

We wanted to follow-up on our message from Wednesday with a more detailed look at the sequence of mitigation and repair work at Markham.

Facilities staff continue to remove damaged materials – including pipes, flooring, ceiling tiles, and drywall – from the 11 classrooms and three common areas most impacted by the storm. As we have mentioned in previous messages, the presence of asbestos in these materials makes this slow and incremental work. Whenever work crews encounter what they suspect might be hazardous material, they must stop what they’re doing, conduct tests, and, if those tests are positive for asbestos, begin the arduous abatement process. Given the extent of the damage – and the fact that it is scattered throughout the building – this initial phase of work is likely to last a few more weeks at least.

The next phase includes replacing Markham’s outdated and fragile plumbing system. The pipes that weren’t damaged in the storm are so old and worn that a piecemeal approach to issues is no longer sufficient. Total replacement is the most viable and sustainable option.

The same is true for the gym floor. The floor consists of two full layers of tightly packed wood planks. During the storm, water leaked in between those layers, causing the wood to warp and buckle. In the same way an insurance company decides when a car is “totaled,” our insurance company recently informed us that the floor is “totaled.”

The plumbing system and gym can be replaced concurrently, but facilities staff cannot begin other repairs (including painting, installing new ceiling tiles and sheet rock, and upgrading the fire suppression system) until the plumbing is finished.

Everyone involved in this work is intent on providing Markham students and staff with a safe, vibrant, and welcoming school to return to. You can expect another update from us by mid-week next week.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jon Franco, Chief of Schools

Lydia Neill, Director, Project Management and Construction