Conne River school closes over mould discovery

[Guest guest]

Conne River school closes over mould discovery

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

CBC News - Newfoundland & Labrador - St. 's,Newfoundland and

Labrador,Canada*

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-

labrador/story/2007/10/31/conne-mould.html

Nearly 300 students in a Mi'kmaq community in southern Newfoundland

have been sent home for at least a few days, following the discovery

of mould at their school.

Classes at St. Anne's School in Conne River have been cancelled for

the rest of the week.

The local education authority decided to close the school until

experts can assess the situation.

Mould was found in different areas of the building, including the

gym, said Chief Misel Joe.

" We're testing all aspects of the school [to determine] whether the

ventilation system is working adequately or there are other reasons

why there are those problems there, " Joe told CBC News.

" There is a team at the space and they'll be in touch with Health

Canada and other agencies around Newfoundland to check this out, to

see what we need to do to clean it up as fast as we can. "

Joe said the authority hopes to reopen the school on Monday.

Mould has been a serious issue for several schools across

Newfoundland and Labrador. The Eastern School District has closed

Paradise Elementary, and is planning a replacement structure.

Portable classrooms were shut down at Roncalli Elementary last

December. In Corner Brook, Humber Elementary was closed for 10

months, while students at Presentation Junior High took classes at a

civic centre for two months while mould was cleaned up.

This September, Cabot Academy in Western Bay and St. 's

Elementary in Upper Island Cove had delayed openings because of

mould problems.