Areas of the second and third floors remain closed due to water damage, are expected to reopen in the coming weeks
Photo by Declan Snowden.
On Dec. 18, 2025, UVic announced the Mearns Centre for Learning — McPherson Library had sustained “localized water damage” on the upper floors due to heavy rainfall that occurred on Dec. 17.
Following the rainfall, the library remained open, though UVic closed the third floor and third floor mezzanine.
In a statement to the Martlet, a UVic spokesperson said that a clogged drain led water to pool on the roof of the library, before leaking down to spaces on the third and second floors. These spaces include the third floor, the third floor mezzanine, and rooms 221 and 223 on the second floor, which are used for library administration and group study, respectively.
In an update published on Jan. 20, the university said that approximately 1 200 print volumes had been damaged, and were being evaluated for replacement. The university also confirmed that the art collections on display were not damaged.
“Damage to library book collections was restricted to a small area on the third-floor mezzanine and did not impact our Special Collections or Archives,” the spokesperson told the Martlet.
The spokesperson said the clog was caused by vegetation, and described it as “common” for roof drains to become obstructed by moss or leaves during heavy rainfall.
“When significant rainfall is forecasted, the university takes proactive steps to prepare infrastructure for higher-than-normal water volumes. Despite these precautions, isolated issues can still occur during extreme weather events.”
“Following this incident, the drain in question was assessed and no deficiencies were identified that would require renovation or redesign.”
They added that the university’s roofing contractor will do additional moss removal in the short term, as well as minor repairs to roof flashing in the coming weeks, while long-term work is planned for the spring, when roof conditions are dry.
They also revealed that a “small amount” of water damage was sustained in the basement as a result of an overwhelmed drain.
The spokesperson said the closure of the third floor was necessary to allow the space to dry properly, and to address minor damage to the ceiling and flooring.
They also said that the university was taking the temporary closure as an opportunity to perform “broader proactive maintenance” on the third-floor mezzanine, such as removing some materials containing asbestos, which they said is often present in older buildings in B.C., as well as replacing some pipes and fittings that showed signs of age as a “preventative measure.”
“The university proactively removes materials that could contain asbestos as part of renovations and upgrades,” the spokesperson said.
With the closure ongoing, the university has said students can contact library staff for assistance retrieving materials located in newly inaccessible areas. The spokesperson said the university, at the time of publication, has received around 200 of these requests so far, which they have addressed by “retrieving items from the shelves, securing items from other libraries via interlibrary loans, and helping users to find alternative versions of the items they need, such as ebooks.”
At the time of publication, the university has not provided a concrete date for reopening, but said they expect maintenance work to be completed “in the coming weeks.”
