FORT FRANCES — Operations are essentially back to normal at the Fort Frances Library Technology Centre, following a significant flooding incident earlier this week that forced its temporary closure.
The building was still able to be used Thursday as a voting location for the provincial election.
CEO Richard Bee said library staff arrived for work Monday to find up to an inch of water on the floor in some areas, requiring an extensive cleanup.
The flooding was caused by a frozen sewer line.
"We had a large amount of melt. There was a lot of snow on the roof. Normally it wouldn't be an issue. It would just go through the drains and into the town sewer system," Bee said. "Because the sewer line had frozen up, the roof drains started backing up."
He said none of the library shelves were impacted, so all the books were okay.
But some of the carpets had to be disposed of, and an insurance claim has been submitted for damages.
"Luckily, the damage appears to have been minimal at the moment. We're not sure if there's any damage to the walls or flooring," Bee said.
The incident was similar to what happened Monday at the County Fair Mall branch of the Thunder Bay Public Library.
