Insulation supplier sued over Concert Hall reno

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This article was published 28/01/2025 (250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Centennial Concert Hall underwent a $12.5-million renovation that was supposed to extend the life of the iconic Main Street structure for 75 years.

Instead, the project, which required the removal and reinstallation of the Tyndall stone cladding, has become the subject of a lawsuit.

The Manitoba Centennial Centre Corp., Bockstael Construction and Advanced Insulation are suing Ontario-based Elastochem Specialty Chemicals. In a statement of claim filed in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, they allege spray foam insulation used for the renovation was defective and $3 million in repairs are required.

“The damage to the building (was) predictably and foreseeably caused by the negligent manufacture and distribution of the defective (spray foam) product supplied by Elastochem,” says the lawsuit.

“It meant the building would have less than the designed minimum 75-year life span and that substantial and extremely expensive remedial work was required.”

The plaintiffs are seeking damages as well as legal costs.

An Elastochem spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Rob Olson, CEO of the MCCC, said he didn’t know a lawsuit had been launched.

“We know nothing about this,” said Olson, adding the provincial government may have launched the lawsuit. “It was a Province of Manitoba project and it was assigned to a proper bid process.”

Olson said the insulation was added to the exterior during renovations that required the Tyndall stone cladding to be removed and reinstalled on new anchors to hold it in place.

“It was the same as the old (Canada) post office,” he said, referring to the building which now houses the headquarters of the Winnipeg Police Service, and which had its Tyndall stone interior removed and replaced with different cladding.

“The Tyndall stone was put back on modern anchors.”

The Manitoba government announced in March 2021 that a tender had been awarded for the renovation project.

It said the renovations included removing about 40,000 square feet of the stone cladding, installing a new roof drainage system, remediating any hazardous material, and upgrading the windows and doors.

Tory Cathy Cox, who was culture minister, said “the work of this project will help maintain its designation as a building with potential historical significance and ensure it remains a cornerstone of Manitoba’s cultural community in the years ahead.”

Reg Helwer, the central services minister at the time, said that after more than 50 years it was time to restore the building on Main Street.

“This investment builds on other work in recent years and will ensure the building (is) able to operate for many years to come,” said Helwer.

According to the document filed in court, Elastochem assured the MCCC and both the construction and insulation companies that the insulation would not expand to damage or diminish the drainage and ventilation channels on the other side of the Tyndall stone exterior, or damage the building membrane.

As well, the company said its insulation would not “deform or shrink or curl.”

However, during an engineering inspection in January 2023, not only had the insulation shrunk and curled, but it had “pulled away from metal flashing and/or metal supports.”

The suit says Elastochem itself allegedly admitted, in a March 2023 technical bulletin, “essentially confirming the problem with the type of (spray foam) supplied for the project.”

No statement of defence has been filed.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca