The University of Winnipeg is hosting a town hall meeting to brief staff and students about how asbestos is being managed on campus.

Officials plan to remove the dangerous substance — linked to different types of cancer — as older buildings are renovated.

The meeting, being held Monday, will be used to talk about the dangerous compound and where it is being found on campus, officials said.

University vice-president Laurel Repski told CBC News an environmental firm has been surveying the campus buildings to see where asbestos is present.

It's critical information because a major round of renovations is coming over the next three years, she said.

"So, it's really important for us to identify those areas where there is asbestos so that when we go in to do the renovations, we know what we're going to do [about] asbestos abatement before we can actually renovate the existing building," she said.

While some asbestos has been found, there's no immediate concern for staff or students' safety, said Repski.

"We've been advised by Pinchin Environmental, who's done the assessments for us, that levels in the buildings at the U of W are no different than any other building that was constructed prior to about 1985," she said.

As well, asbestos is not harmful until it is disturbed and becomes airborne particles, which happens during renovations.