Cambridge's Old Post Office plagued by 2 floods, crickets

The Idea Exchange in Cambridge's Old Post Office flooded twice in 2019 after water poured into the building's drainage system, and it also had to deal with a number of crickets descending from the building's green roof.

The facility was originally built in 1885 but was later closed and re-opened in 2018 after a multi-year redevelopment that cost more than $12 million.

The location is now home to the Idea Exchange, which includes a restaurant, learning labs, a classroom, a family discovery centre and an outdoor terrace that overlooks the Grand River.

In July of 2019, heavy rain sent water into an exhaust vent "overwhelming the drainage systems," said Helen Kelly, CEO of the Idea Exchange.  

She said building planners hadn't anticipated the intensity of the rain. 

An insurance claim for $4,160 covered the costs of an electrician, some damaged IT equipment and water abatement costs, said Kelly. 

The building was closed for two days. 

She said the damage was to a "back of the house" area and not to the building's creative suites and new video wall, which are both located at the other side of the building's lower-level.  

Some upgrades have been made since the flooding, including soil removal at the front of the building and the addition of new drainage stone. 

The building's mechanical consultant is also sketching a permanent "goose-neck cover" for the exhaust vent to protect from sudden rain and to mitigate against both rain and snow, said Kelly. 

Unwanted guests

In mid-September the building's lower-level flooded again.

This time, there were some unexpected visitors as well — crickets, from the building's green roof and outside terrace, which had made their way in with the rainwater, said Kelly. Though she said there were no damage costs from that flood. 

The Old Post Office is a national historic site.

The facility received 103,000 visitors in 2019.