Rain brings down ceiling in mayor's office (9 photos)

A property restoration specialist has been called in to mop up the offices of Mayor Christian Provenzano and chief administrative officer Malcolm White, after today's early-morning rain caused parts of their adjoining office ceilings to collapse.

Artworks on loan from the Art Gallery of Algoma were quickly whisked away from the damaged rooms and Provenzano and White were working this afternoon out of a nearby boardroom as a WinMar worker carried in ventilation fans and spread plastic sheets over exposed furniture.

The water damage is believed to have occurred in the wee hours but wasn't discovered until mayoral staffer Lisa Bell arrived at work this morning.

She immediately texted Provenzano with a photo of water pooled on the floor.

The civic centre is currently undergoing a $6.9-million window and cladding replacement project.

Looking through a section of collapsed ceiling in CAO White's office, a hole in the easterly wall was clearly visible, exposing the building's interior to the elements.

While some ratepayers consider the construction project as unnecessary, it was identified as a priority in a 2015 asset management plan that cited metal panel support deterioration and numerous seal failures in insulated windows.

On Dec. 4, 2017 as City Council approved its 2018 municipal budget, SooToday reported that water was pouring by the bucket through the the Civic Centre's east wall.