Elementary students use outdoor toilets for weeks as school deals with water woes
A school near Shelburne, Ont. has been without adequate water supply for the first month since students returned to the classroom, leaving many parents frustrated and calling on the school board to be more transparent.
Primrose Elementary School in Mulmur has been using portable toilets and trailer bathrooms after it was discovered there was no water pressure in the school on Sept. 9.
According to the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB), the issue was caused by a low level in the school's well.
But parents say they have been calling on the board to address water concerns since the spring, first bringing up water drinking safety.
"We just want to know what they're going to do and when they're going to fix it," said Amber Gallaugher, Vice Chair of the Primrose School Council. "We want to know when our kids are actually going to have running water."
Gallaugher said the UGDSB went silent over the summer, even as parents attempted to contact it for an update on the water condition.
"The first time we heard from the board was the second day of school when the school was closed due to lack of water," she added. "That's unacceptable."
The UGDSB undertook a change in the superintendents through the summer but said it was still working on the water challenges.
"Over the summer, there was an engineering firm that said the well is working," said Belal Taha, Superintendent of Education. "But on day two, we discovered that wasn't the case."
An update to parents on Sept. 14 said cleaning out of the base of the current well was unsuccessful, meaning a new well needs to be drilled.
A water tanker was installed last weekend and has since allowed water pressure to return to the school.
But for Claire Boone, who has a daughter in Grade 8, it's not reassuring that the portable toilets have been left on site as a backup.
"Shame on you. It should've been taken care of. These are our children," she said. "This should've been addressed much sooner, and we should've been kept in the loop."
Superintendent Taha said he is working on improving transparency with parents.
"I have, over the past two weeks, begun sending out letters," he added. "This is frustrating for everyone."
Taha said a design for a new well should be completed by October. However, there has yet to be any indication as to when it will be drilled.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.