With the school year about six weeks out, plans are in the works to relocate staff and students after a Thompson elementary school was destroyed by fire Wednesday.
The province told the Free Press the cause of the blaze at Westwood Elementary School is accidental, but no additional detail was available in an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
Provincial staff and education officials met virtually late Wednesday afternoon to discuss needs.
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The fire at Westwood Elementary School was determined to be accidental, but the fire comissioner’s office is still investigating. The fire displaces 280 students and 45 staff.
Manitoba education minister Nello Altomare told the Free Press that 280 displaced students and 45 staff will be spread across three locations. He didn’t know what those locations would be.
“The (Mystery Lake) school division has enough space within existing schools,” Altomare said.
Students in kindergarten through Grade 3 will be in one location, Grades 4 to 7 in another, and Grade 8 students at another.
There are three other elementary schools in the community of about 13,000.
University College of the North has also offered space at its Thompson campus if needed, according to the minister.
“A loss of this magnitude in the Thompson community is devastating. The University College of the North is prepared to assist in any way we can,” said school spokesperson Monte Koshel.
Teachers’ supplies were destroyed in the blaze, and Altomare said lesson plans will need to be redone.
The province would support the school district into the fall, Altomare said, “to help teachers along that path.”
The Mystery Lake school district not respond to a request for comment.
Longtime Thompson resident Cristy Andres has started a GoFundMe fundraising campaign in response to the fire.
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Students and staff displaced by the elementary school fire are set to be spread out at three other locations in the Mystery Lake school division once the school year starts.
Teachers have a long road ahead preparing for the upcoming school year, she said.
“I think (the fundraiser) will just help give teachers a little pick-me-up and start the (school) year off with a few dollars in their pockets,” she said Friday.
As of Friday afternoon, $11,675 had been raised toward a $15,000 goal to help educators foot the bill for new classroom supplies.
Andres said she’s hoping donations will top out closer to $23,000, considering the more than 20 teachers and hundreds of children displaced by the fire.
“Our community is really good at rallying together when we have tragedy or triumph,” Andres said.
jordan.snobelen@freepress.mb.ca
Jordan Snobelen
Reporter
Jordan Snobelen is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. He spent four years reporting for community newspapers in Ontario before joining the Free Press’s city desk in 2024. Read more about Jordan.
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