Possible asbestos disturbance closes 2 federal office towers

UPDATE: A PSPC spokesperson said Friday "test results have confirmed that there is no risk" and the building is back open.

A worker at the Place du Portage III towers in Gatineau, Que., says she's feeling uneasy after learning two buildings at the federal office complex have been closed because of a potential asbestos exposure.

Late last night, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) emailed employees to tell them that asbestos may have been disturbed during work at towers A1 and A2 and that they would be closed Thursday.

Chelsey Nason, who works in A2, didn't see the message before heading to the office. She said she was turned away and told to check her email.

Nason has asthma and says she felt "nervous" after learning about the potential asbestos exposure.

"I've worked here for about three months now, and my health hasn't been the best in the last three months. So now I'm kind of worried that maybe it's that,"  Nason said.

Federal offices 'are a mess'

The closure of the towers comes in the wake of the federal government's revised policy on remote work and subsequent complaints filed by several federal unions.

Under the new rules, public servants are expected to be working from the office for three days a week by mid-September. That's left many employees, including those who work at Place du Portage III, feeling frustrated.

"Federal offices and workplace arrangements as they stand today are a mess," said Canadian Association of Professional Employees president Nathan Prier at a May 8 press conference.

"Nobody can find a desk. Nobody has a locker. We're talking about offices that aren't safer or cleaner than they were before telework."

Those offices are dealing with issues like bed bugs, bats, mice, cockroaches, mould, odours, poor air quality, trash and missing or broken equipment, Prier said.

"These aren't working conditions fit for federal employees who just want to get their jobs done," Prier said.

Towers getting major renovations

In 2018, PSPC launched plans for a major renewal of the entire Place du Portage III complex, with renovations to the western towers completed by 2027 and the eastern towers — which include A1 and A2 — by 2028.

PSPC previously acknowledged the presence of asbestos in Place du Portage III and had a management plan, according to the department's December 2022 national asbestos inventory.

The health and security of employees and other occupants at the complex is the top priority, said PSPC spokesperson Alexandre Baillairgé-Charbonneau.

The buildings are closed Thursday while asbestos testing is carried out, Baillairgé-Charbonneau said in an email to Radio-Canada.

PSPC did not say how long the closure would last, but noted additional information regarding the potential asbestos exposure would be provided to employees once it becomes available.

Place du Portage III houses around 4,500 employees, mainly from PSPC, all of whom have been offered the choice to work remotely or reserve a different workspace due to the closure of the towers.