15°c Light rain showers
13°c Cloudy with showers
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
School asbestos to be reviewed
THE province has launched a review to determine why 25 bags of asbestos were stored underneath a First Nations school.
Berens River band council ordered the community's kindergarten-to-Grade 9 school closed last week after a worker discovered the asbestos in the school's crawl space. Community leaders felt is was unsafe for the school's 350 students and 100 staff to go into the school until an independent investigation determines there is no health danger.
Officials from the province's workplace safety and health division ordered the school closed on Friday until results from further tests deem it safe for children to return.
Deputy education minister Gerald Farthing said officials have launched a review to examine why the asbestos was stored at the school, how long it's been in the school's crawl space and whether the situation should have been handled differently.
"First of all, we don't think it should've been stored there in the first place, properly or not," he said Monday. "We want to make sure that every time we're dealing with asbestos in schools, it is handled in a safe and transparent way."
Farthing said provincial education officials will conduct the review with the school division, community and federal government officials.
Results from air, soil and surface samples taken from classrooms, the furnace room and the crawl space will be available in the coming days, Farthing said, and a Calgary-based engineering firm will conduct further testing on today.
"Right now, we have to figure out whether or not kids can go back to this school," he said.
Berens River Chief George Kemp said residents are particularly concerned because 60 children have sought treatment for respiratory illnesses in recent months, although no one knows whether the illnesses are linked to the school.
Frontier School Division chief superintendent Ray Derksen said the school will be closed until Jan. 7. He said asbestos remediation was done with renovations to the mechanical system, and the asbestos was stored according to regulations and was to be removed by winter road this year.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 11, 2012 A7
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 24 articles for today)
Man charged with second-degree murder in Charleswood slayings
12:24 PM
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged with second-degree murder in Charleswood slayings
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- One dead in Highway 10 collision
- Two women face rare charges of harbouring alleged murderer
- Li granted additional day passes
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Head-on collision kills pickup driver
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Man charged with second-degree murder in Charleswood slayings
- Winning 6/49 ticket purchased in Winnipeg
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Missing woman's remains found in Point Douglas home
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Paisley tour hitting city in October
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- Man charged with second-degree murder in Charleswood slayings
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- Bethania board puts CEO on leave amid probe
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Ochre Beach residents are 'thankful everybody got out'
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- She leads an underwear revolution for African girls
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.