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It was mid-September when management of the Canada Science and Technology Museum realized they had no hope of saving their roof from collapse.

For two weeks they had battled to keep the leaking roof and mould from getting worse, as their engineers warned the whole structure could cave in this winter if more than 25 centimetres of snow builds up.

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“The roof is now officially collapsing,” CEO Alex Benay warned in one email.

Cracks in the buckled ceiling revealed lumps of what appeared to be asbestos ready to fall into the lobby and exhibit areas. White powder settling inside the building looked like asbestos too.

Plastic sheets draped over displays kept the water off, but dampness was everywhere.

Still they struggled to dry the artifacts, cleaning off the mould in the one dry zone. Nothing destroys museum artifacts faster than mould.

Then, on a sunny day, new leaks.

Fernand Proulx, the chief operating officer, poured out all the museum’s troubles in an email labeled: “Situation deteriorating.” The Citizen has obtained a copy through an access to information request.