VANCOUVER - Emily Carr University has cancelled all classes and closed its campus until Tuesday, Oct. 15, as police continue to investigate an arson at the school's Vancouver campus.
The university has been closed since Saturday because of a small fire on the fourth floor of the school's main building. Vancouver police believe the fire may have been deliberately set by a person who broke into the building early Saturday morning.
In a release announcing the closure, the university said there was limited damage from the fire and the sprinkler system, mostly in the Research and Industry Office and the painting and drawing studios.
There is also some water damage in other areas of the building, but few personal effects or artworks were affected, the school said.
Despite the relatively minor damage, the university said, many of the classrooms and shops most affected are not yet safe to use, and will be closed while restoration work continues.
Most areas will be open when classes resume after the Thanksgiving long weekend, the school said, but some classes will need to be temporarily relocated.
The school said classes cancelled this week will be rescheduled at the end of the semester, between Dec. 4 and 17.
Though classes are cancelled, staff and faculty may be asked to report to work this week, the university said. Students needing access to the building to retrieve personal belongings are asked to contact aadvising@ecuad.ca.
Anyone with information that may be helpful to the police investigation is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Department.
