100 research projects halted at Montreal’s Douglas Institute

100 research projects have been halted at Montreal’s Douglas Mental Health University Institute after four laboratories were damaged by flooding last week.

One hundred research projects have been halted at Montreal’s Douglas Mental Health University Institute after four laboratories were damaged by flooding last week, a consequence attributed, in particular, to the building’s dilapidated state.

At a news conference on Thursday in Quebec City, Québec solidaire (QS) criticized the Legault government’s inaction on the Douglas Institute renovation project. The government announced in 2020 that the facility would be modernized, but the project has since remained in the planning stage.

Alejandra Zaga Mendez, QS spokesperson on finance and member of the National Assembly for Verdun, the borough where the Douglas Institute is located, urged the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to speed things up so that the project can move “as quickly as possible” from planning to implementation.

“We are here to ask for one thing: to quickly accelerate the Douglas Institute modernization project. We can’t wait any longer. This is a crisis that is being experienced on the ground,” said Zaga Mendez.

Her colleague Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, QS spokesperson on health issues, insisted on getting a start date for the work.

“What we want is a clear timeline, a clear answer, a financial commitment, and a start date for reconstruction, because enough is enough,” he said. “We can no longer live in these conditions. The patients and workers have had enough. When is the date?”

Just a glimpse of the problems

The QS representatives were joined by Douglas Institute professionals, who argued that the Jan. 26 flood was only a “glimpse” of the extent of the building’s problems. Staff reported problems with pests and insulation, with elderly patients being moved during the winter because they had no heat and, conversely, rooms that overheat in the summer.

A video of the Jan. 26 flood was widely circulated in the media, showing water pouring down on laboratory equipment as a soaked ceiling panel collapsed.

Local authorities said the incident was serious and had damaged both the second and ground floor of the Lehmann Pavilion. Significant water damage occurred in four different locations in a hallway on the second floor of the pavilion.

At a news briefing on Thursday, Sylvain Williams, a scientist at the Douglas Institute for nearly 30 years and a professor in McGill University’s Department of Psychiatry, pointed out that the damaged equipment is very expensive.

“Scientific instruments, millions of dollars of public investment that are now in the trash... a disaster,” he said.

He explained that the Douglas Research Centre welcomes many university students “who are learning to do research.”

“Now, 100 projects have been halted and more than 100 research assistants, research associates, and students are paralyzed. It’s really a disaster,” he repeated. The building will likely be closed for months, he said.

The Douglas Research Centre is an international leader in mental health, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease research.

“Research isn’t just about stopping experiments, it’s also about stopping the search for solutions for new treatments and a better understanding of these diseases,” Williams said.

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The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 5, 2026.