Months after one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history, workers have begun tearing down Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The Peace River School District confirmed the deconstruction was underway in a community update this week, along with details on the “trauma-informed approach” being employed. “Every effort is being made to carry out this work in a way that respects the significance of the site and minimizes disruption to students, families, and the broader community,” the update reads. Part of that approach means the building will be “carefully dismantled in stages,” with furniture and other moveable material being taken out in covered trucks. Building materials will not be left at the local landfill, but at regional sites instead. The district said the removal is expected to be finished this fall. Meanwhile, crews will be prepping a central complex for the portable classrooms students have been using since the tragedy in February. “This facility will include washrooms, offices, staff workspaces, counselling spaces, and a gathering area for students, and will be ready for the start of the school year,” the update said. Most of the victims of the shooting were killed at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, including five young students and a teacher’s aide. The shooter, former student Jesse Van Rooteselaar, also shot and killed her mother and sibling at their home. The B.C. and federal governments have already announced $200 million in combined funding for the building of a replacement school in Tumbler Ridge, as well as the modernization of the community’s health centre. Earlier this month, the province announced plans to pursue legal action against OpenAI over the mass shooting, in the hopes of securing support for the grief-stricken northern community—including funding that would go towards the school. The company has acknowledged that a ChatGPT account belonging to Van Rootselaar was banned last year, and that the company considered notifying police about concerning interactions that violated its policies—but ultimately chose not to do so. “We will use the courts to pursue accountability and ensure that British Columbians are not left bearing the costs of corporate wrongdoing,” Attorney General Niki Sharma said at the time.
