Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Broughton Island (Nov 14/05) - Inuksuit school in Qikiqtarjuaq was closed indefinitely after half the students and staff were falling ill from "something."

"We think it's something in the air," said principal Laura Marchand. "We don't know."

Through a spokesperson, Qikiqtarjuaq's Health Centre would only confirm that "a handful of people at the school did come into the centre with hives and rashes and that sort of thing."

Other symptoms, said Marchand, include watery eyes, itchy skin, swollen faces, headaches, rashes and hives.

Marchand said the acting nurse in charge was at the school to investigate but could not identify the problem.

There are 160 students and approximately 20 staff at the school.

A team from the department of health and social services, community and government services, the Workers Compensation Board and maybe the department of education will be in Qikiqtarjuaq Monday, Nov. 14 to investigate.

In the last two weeks, Marchand has closed the school for half days "a few times," because students and staff were getting sick.

"They would go home, take a Benadryl and come back and get sick again," said Marchand. "We closed for a little while thinking it would get better - like it was a virus or something - but it never did."

The most recent official closure was Nov. 9. when the school was closed for the whole day. The school was reopened the next day, but people got sick and went home. Communications officer for the department of Education, Wende Halonen, said the superintendent of schools was notified on Nov. 9 about the problem.

"The school will remain closed until we can determine what's going on," said Halonen.

As of Thursday, nobody could say what was causing the reactions.

"We've eliminated the idea that water is the problem because we've had people who are sick who didn't drink any water," explained Marchand.

There was speculation it could be carpet mold, caused by a flooding that occurred in the school last year, but Marchand said after the flooding the carpets were tested and deemed safe and without mold.

Acting chief safety officer of the regional Worker's Compensation Board was only informed of the outbreak when Nunavut News/North inquired.

"There should be an investigation of the work environment," including all air circulation systems, he said.

The department of Community and Government Services (CGS) is responsible for the maintenance and management of central government property, including schools.

Shawn Maley, assistant deputy minister with CGS, promised on Thursday to provide further details after the investigation.

On the question of why nothing was done sooner, Maley said, "I'm not in the position to give out any information at this time."

A "concerned parent" who did not want to be named, thinks it could be from smoke.

Last month a stove in the teacher's lounge caught fire.

"There was a lot of smoke," said the parent.

Fire marshall Gerald Pickett doesn't think that's the cause.

"Not to my knowledge," Pickett said.

The parent says whatever the cause, the school should have been closed immediately and not reopened until determined safe.

"It's irresponsible to even attempt to open the school again and use the kids and staff as guinea pigs."

The parent is outraged at how the situation was handled, and that she had no clue as to what was happening at the school.

She had heard "rumours" that people were getting "allergic reactions in the face" and was told by relatives of school staff, "I wouldn't send your kids to school if I were you."

People were notified through the community radio, but the parent said it wasn't enough.

"What if I wasn't listening to the radio when it was broadcast?" she asked.

If there was no word on the problem by Monday, Nov. 14, she promised to move her child to Iqaluit to attend the school there.