Brandon steps up to support school where sword attack occurred

BRANDON — There’s been an outpouring of support from the community after a 15-year-old boy was seriously injured Tuesday in an sword attack at Neelin High School.

“That’s one thing I can say about the Brandon community,” Brandon School Division Supt. Mathew Gustafson said. “People band together.”

Gustafson said a number of businesses and organizations reached out to provide support to the students and staff.

Officials at schools in the division have asked what they can do to help, he said, and there have also been “offers of support” from the provincial education department and other school divisions across the province.

“Of course, there has been too many examples of people just reaching out, providing their thoughts, wishes and prayers for those students,” he said.

“From the outpouring of messages and support, I think it shows that this resonates with a lot of people.”

The victim in Tuesday’s attack was rushed to hospital after another student allegedly used a sword to stab him in the chest, forearms, hands and thighs. The victim was last reported to be in stable condition. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder.

Chez Angela Bakery and Café announced it will bake and sell heart-shaped cookies with green icing — the school’s colour — in support of the victim.

James Chambers, general manager at Chez Angela, said 100 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the victim’s family.

Chambers said both he and his wife, Angie, graduated from Neelin, and they have a 15-year-old daughter who attends the school. His two other children went to the school as well.

“We’re doing this because this is our school,” Chambers said.

“We try to show care for our community through food,” he said. “With connections through the school, through some staff members and the administration, we co-ordinated this pretty quickly this morning.

The first batch of 300 cookies, which will be ready on June 21, have already sold out and people have started to place orders for the next batch, which will be ready one week later.

Chambers said Pinnacle Event Rentals has stepped in to cover some of the costs for the second batch, and that many local businesses have reached out to order cookies.

“There’s so many people stepping forward in so many different ways,” he said. “The people walking through the door telling us that they’re from Neelin or that their kids are at Neelin, and what it means to them, has been very touching.”

Chambers said the community needs to stay together and support each other when tragic events happen.

Gustafson also named Forbidden Flavours, Sobeys and Domino’s Pizza as local businesses that have stepped up to support the school.

Sylvan Learning of Westman offered to let students study there free of charge this week.

Owner Joshua Malyk is a Neelin parent and said while his child wasn’t there on the day of the assault, he knows of students who have been more affected by it.

“I just wanted to provide a safe space for them to feel comfortable,” Malyk said. “That they could always come use a table and focus on other things, rather than be engulfed by the hallways and the reminders.”

Gustafson said provincial exams have been cancelled for Neelin students.

“Due to the nature of what happened, the students wouldn’t be in the best frame of mind for that, and they wouldn’t be valid assessments,” he said.

— Brandon Sun