Work is now underway to tear down Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in northern British Columbia, the site of one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings earlier this year. Five children and one education assistant were gunned down at the school on Feb. 10. The 18-year-old shooter, who also died inside the school, had killed two family members at home before carrying out the attack, bringing the total death toll to nine. The school district superintendent says the work will begin Monday with the removal of the school building exterior. “This is an important milestone in the careful, staged removal of the existing school, which is expected to take a few more weeks,” said Christy Fennell of the Peace River South school district in a statement. Once the building is fully removed, the school site will be restored to grass, she said. “We recognize that seeing the building change will be significant for many in the community,” Fennell said. “We are sharing this update in advance so students, families, staff and community members know what to expect as this next stage of the work begins.” The school district said efforts would be made to minimize disruption and protect privacy during the demolition. Discarded building materials will be taken to landfills outside the community. “The Tumbler Ridge landfill will not be used,” Fennell said. The demolition will be carried out in phases, with the school district providing updates as timelines are confirmed. B.C. Premier David Eby announced in May that a replacement school would be built in the community “as quickly as possible.” The federal and provincial governments have together pledged $200 million toward construction of the new school and upgrades to the community’s health centre. “We recognize the significance of this moment and thank the Tumbler Ridge community for its continued care, compassion and understanding,” the superintendent said. Since the attack, Tumbler Ridge students have attended classes in portable classrooms on the grounds of the local elementary school.
