Lake Babine Nation's Fort Babine Elementary School gym collapsed on March 18 at approximately 4:30 p.m. Fortunately nobody was in the gym and the adjoining school building at the time.
According to Lake Babine Nation Chief Wilf Adam, structural engineers recently arrived on the site to assess why the gym collapsed and to also check the structural integrity of the remaining school building. He said at this point Lake Babine Nation do not know what caused the structure to collapse.
"We have shut down the school until the assessment is completed," Chief Adam said.
A total of 12 students ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 7 attend the school.
As a result of the school's closure, students were kept home during the week before spring break and Chief Adam said it depends on the outcome of the assessment as to whether the school will be reopened again after spring break.
"If the engineers say it is okay to reopen, we will, if not, we will have to look at other alternatives for the students until repairs are made," he said.
Chief Adam said that Lake Babine Nation did have some concerns about the building prior to the last week's collapse and he said they have raised the issue with Vancouver based David Nairne and Associates Ltd., the engineers who signed off on the building 12 years ago when it was built.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) assessed the school and gym structure in 2008 and gave Lake Babine Nation a list of repairs that needed to be carried out.
"The band had financial difficulties in 2008 and couldn't afford to the repairs so a proposal was written to INAC for funding, but it was rejected. When we came on council in 2009, we approached INAC and they told us to go after the engineers who signed off on the building. The building is not that old. It was built in 2000 so it is a relatively new building. We are talking to David Nairne and Associates Ltd. about this."
"Since the collapse we have met with INAC and the insurance company and are working towards getting a new gym built in its place."
"We need to fence off the site to make sure kids are kept away from the area. There is some sharp pieces of metal about."
Chief Adam said, "It is bad enough for the community already with what has happened at the Babine Forest Products sawmill. It was very fortunate that there was no one inside the gym at the time."