Mould behind school closure; parents call for class return

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This article was published 16/02/2023 (1012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation has determined mould and an outdated mechanical ventilation system are the major safety concerns in its public school.

However, more than a month after students were dismissed, it is still unclear when classes will resume.

“Priorities are not in order here,” said Chasity Simard, a mother who has been juggling homeschooling, caregiving and a part-time job since her eldest child, a Grade 3 student, was sent home Jan. 13 from Sergeant Tommy Prince School.

“I’m just really frustrated and irritated. We have so much going on in our personal life right now, and taking away school from my daughter just hurts so much more. That’s her distraction. That’s her way to get out of her head, and now it’s taking a toll on me, even more, trying to teach her.”

Students and staff evacuated the nursery-to-Grade 9 building, located about 70 kilometres north of Winnipeg, after air-quality alarms were triggered last month. Eleven community members immediately sought medical attention at hospitals in Winnipeg and the Interlake-Eastern region.

There was initial confusion about the source of pollution. Days after the sudden closure, the principal and local education director reported CO2 levels — not to be confused with CO, a chemical produced by burning gasoline and other fuels — had reached “a strength considered to be toxic air quality.”

Brokenhead Chief Gordon Bluesky and Charles Cochrane of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (the organization that oversees the First Nations school board that operates the school) vowed to prioritize student safety and hire experts to pinpoint the problem before reopening the facility.

Neither responded to a request for comment Wednesday.

In a letter Feb. 10, education director Wendell Sinclair informed families that community leaders had met with representatives from the company tasked with investigating air quality last week.

Experts looked at temperature, relative humidity and airborne dust, and tested for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, mould, asbestos, lead paint, and total volatile organic compounds, per the Feb. 10 notice.

The final report focused on mould found in localized areas of the school and building-wide mechanical system issues, Sinclair said.

The education director said the former requires further investigation to determine the extent and source of the fungal growth. As for the latter problem, contractors suggest the school upgrade equipment that regulates stale air and brings fresh air into the building, he said.

“To allow students and staff to return to in-person learning as safely and as soon as possible, we are planning on moving classrooms to alternative locations, away from the affected areas,” Sinclair wrote.

While noting the library, cafeteria, Grade 8-9 classroom and Headstart, a pre-school inside the N-9 building, have been deemed safe, he said officials are being extra cautious by waiting for written confirmation students and staff can return to those areas.

Staff was scheduled to start setting up new learning spaces this week, and a second set of homework packages have been dropped off at family homes.

Sinclair did not provide a return date, although he acknowledged the frustration the shutdown has caused children and their families.

“We thank everyone for their patience and assure you that we are working as quickly as possible to remedy the situation,” he added.

The letter did not acknowledge Brokenhead recently posted a job for a new principal at the school or why the previous leader left amid the closure.

Simard said she does not understand why the school has not organized in-person classes in the community hall or another location temporarily.

“If we didn’t have COVID and none of that and this happened, then maybe I wouldn’t be so frustrated,” she said, adding school staff sent tablets home with children to use for e-learning and socializing over video conference during the height of the pandemic.

The mother said her daughter misses her weekday routine, and suggested the shutdown is negatively affecting the mental health of local students.

Jennifer Cooper, spokeswoman for Indigenous Services Canada, said the agency will support the Manitoba First Nation as it undertakes remediation efforts.

Cooper noted the cost of school repairs will be covered by annual operation, maintenance and capital dollars from the federal government.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie