Elementary school Christine Morrison in Mission is closed today, Tuesday Nov. 12, because of a bomb threat that was posted on an exterior school wall during the weekend.
On Saturday, a passerby noticed the message on the back wall and alerted the RCMP, which then contacted the school district.
School district assistant superintendent Randy Huth said the school was closed because the message was a “direct threat to the safety and well-being of staff and students.”
“We’re doing this in the best interest of students and staff and we’re going to err always on the side of safety,” said Huth.
Although the district would not reveal the exact content of the message, RCMP have confirmed that it was a bomb threat for Tuesday.
School staff spent yesterday calling the parents of all 450 students in the Kindergarten to Grade 6 French immersion school.
“All parents we contacted yesterday were very supportive and understanding of our decision to keep our school closed for today,” said Huth.
The message has been removed.
Based on results of an RCMP investigation, school district staff have confirmed that the school will return to “business as usual” on Wednesday.
“We’re working with the RCMP. They did a thorough search on Sunday, and they’re doing another thorough search today,” said Huth.
A bomb profile dog was called out on Tuesday and did not find anything suspicious.
“The RCMP has just left and they have given the OK for students to come back to school tomorrow,” said district school district superintendent Bill Fletcher. “They were just doing their last search to see if they could find anything in the school.”
The RCMP does not anticipate future incidents related to this particular threat.
“The only indication we had was of something today. Beyond that, I don’t know of any future threat,” said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Shaun Wright.
This is the first time that Christine Morrison has closed its doors as a result of such a threat, according to Huth. The school has no history of threats or violence towards it.
