Hundreds of Abbotsford, B.C., students displaced as flood damage closes schools
Eight-year-old Reid Pemble misses his friends.
He misses his school.
“He loves his classroom and his teacher," explained his mom, Megan Pemble. “It’s tough not seeing his friends in the usual routine.”
Reid is one of about 300 students displaced after two Abbotsford, B.C., schools shut down because of flooding damage.
Reid is a student at Upper Sumas Elementary where the district said several feet of water poured into the building. The other school that’s closed is Barrowtown Elementary.
The flooding left the Abbotsford School District scrambling to find a way to get kids back to class.
It took a lot of juggling.
“We’ve got classroom spaces all around the district that we’ve set up temporarily and they’re doing quite well so far,” explained superintendent Kevin Godden. They hope to have the students all together in the same place in the new year.
Some students from Barrowtown Elementary are being taught in space offered by a Chilliwack church, which is closer to their homes. Other students are learning remotely.
The other challenge the district has faced is staffing.
Godden said about 250 Abbotsford School District staff live in Chilliwack, and highway closures have made getting to work difficult, if not impossible at times.
“We’ve hired a couple of coaches to transport those staff the long way on Highway 7 here every day,” said Godden.
The commute, he said, is two hours each way on a good day. The number of teachers using the bus varies, but as many as 70 have made the commute on any given day. There are a couple pick-up and drop-off locations.
“In addition to that, we have some hotel rooms for staff who are willing and able to stay in the community," Godden added.
Reid’s first day in his “new” class was Tuesday. On Wednesday, flooding kept him at home.
“When we went to check the road this morning, the water was already rushing over Whatcom (Road),” said Reid’s mom.
Meanwhile, Megan Pemble’s older son, who is in Grade 6, is staying with his grandmother.
“He goes to Abby Middle (school) so it wasn’t safe for us to keep travelling back and forth,” Pemble said.
Godden said while damage assessments are still being done, it’s expected it will take four or five months to repair Upper Sumas Elementary. Barrowtown Elementary will open much sooner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.S. schools turn to artificial intelligence to spot guns as companies press lawmakers for state funds
Kansas could soon offer up to US$5 million in grants for schools to outfit surveillance cameras with artificial intelligence systems that can spot people carrying guns. But the governor needs to approve the expenditures and the schools must meet some very specific criteria.
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
'It happened so fast': Evacuees describe fleeing Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire
Thousands have been forced to flee a wildfire burning near Fort Nelson. Meanwhile, some experienced volunteers are staying behind to fight the fire.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.