Baker Lake high school moves classes to community hall

Jonah Amitnaaq secondary school in Baker Lake closed earlier this week after a fuel spill in the school’s mechanical room. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Updated Sept. 29

Jonah Amitnaaq secondary school is moving classes to Baker Lake’s community hall this week as crews continue to deal with maintenance issues and lingering fumes from a fuel leak last week.

On Sept. 22, a fuel tank in the school`s mechanical room overflowed during refueling, said Nunavut’s Department of Community and Government Services.

The fuel was contained within a berm built into the facility, although the high school’s 350 students or so were sent home.

CGS said its local maintainer spent the day cleaning up the fuel, replacing the HVAC air filters and ventilating the school to get rid of the odour.

Officials tried to re-open the school Sept. 23 and Sept. 25, but had to close the building again due to residual odours.

Baker Lake`s high school students will return to class Sept. 30 at the community hall, the school’s vice-principal Chris Snow wrote on the community’s Facebook page Sept. 28.

Students from Grade 6 through 9 will attend class in the mornings from 9:00 a.m. until 11:35 a.m., while senior students from Grade 10 through 12 will have classes in the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. until 3:45 p.m.

“We do not have a time frame as to how long school will be held at the hall, but we do know our students will not be returning to the school while the fuel fumes remain,” Snow said.

Regular school bus service will run at the usual time although an extra route could be added to bring senior students to school in the afternoon.

Jonah Amitnaaq’s breakfast program will run from the community hall as well, from 8:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.

Students will be given a chance to retrieve their school books and supplies from the high school this week, Snow said.