Over 50 patches of potentially hazardous black mould gathered on Burnaby campus last Thursday to raise awareness about the university’s decision to shut down Louis Riel House.
When the building closes at the end of August 2015, all remaining residents will be forced from the property. As of March 27, an undisclosed amount of building units contain black mould, while 122 of the units still have people living in them. The building has been a mainstay for mould on campus for several years, while humans have also occupied Louis Riel for 45 years.
“Louis Riel is one of the only places on campus where mould can not only grow, but even flourish,” one of the patches of mould said during the rally. “If Riel shuts down for good, where will we go? Who will take care of us by neglecting basic building maintenance and upkeep?”
The university claims it has the moulds’ best interest at heart concerning the closure, saying they will try everything to find proper accommodations for mould elsewhere on campus, like in the Education building. However, there are concerns that said building is already at maximum mould capacity and is unfit to house any patches that will be displaced from Louis Riel.
“It feels like the university is just abandoning us,” another patch of toxic mould told The Peak. “The current crusade by SFU to combat health risks to its staff and students could ultimately lead to fewer places available on campus for mould like us to grow.
“Our university needs more affordable, low-income housing that’s seen years of neglect from proper maintenance. Otherwise, it’s essentially giving up on a percentage of the mould population that calls SFU home.”
Allegations have also been made that the university is deliberately taking care of its other buildings in order to push out low-income mould and further gentrify the campus, but no claims have yet been proven.
“We value our school’s mould and are hoping we can find a solution that works for both the mould and our lungs,” said Thompson Bates, a spokesperson for the university. “Unfortunately, it’s too early to tell what that solution might be.”
In the meantime, a monetary fund has been established to help mould that has already been displaced by Louis Riel’s pending closure. Toxic fungi that will soon be affected by the shutdown are being encouraged to utilize campus resources to potentially find new ceilings, floor, neglected hallways, and drywall to inhabit.
