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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
One play school's bending of its allergy policy has left one Yellowknife mother furious.

Natasha Leung with her son Colin, 3, who has a severe peanut and nut allergy which could kill him. The Yellowknife Playschool Association has decided to sell baked goods with nuts for its fundraiser, even after objections were raised by Leung. - Svjetlana Mlinarevic/NNSL photo

Natasha Leung's oldest child, three-year-old Colin, was diagnosed with a severe allergy to peanuts and other nuts which can cause a potentially fatal reaction should they come into contact with his skin or be ingested.

"He's seeing a pediatric allergist in Edmonton and he said Colin is not to be exposed to any peanuts or nut products whatsoever," said Natasha. "Because he has a peanut and nut allergy as well as asthma, the chances of his lungs surviving an anaphylactic attack are very little. It's very severe."

Natasha said it was because of the Yellowknife Playschool Association's strict nut policies that she and her husband Adam decided to place Colin in its program.

According to the play school's website, there is a no-peanut and nut policy, which means parents cannot bring foods with nuts into the school.

That didn't stop the play school, however, from deciding to allow the storage of baked goods which contain nuts at the school for a fundraiser at Centre Square Mall on Dec. 1.

This immediately left her worrying that nut residue could be left behind and come in contact with her son after the sale.

What followed was an escalating dispute that has led the Leungs to withdraw Colin from the play school and for Natasha to quit her position with the association as a parent-teacher liaison.

"I feel like they've decided that a bake sale is more important than having Colin there and that doesn't sit well with me," said Natasha.

"You can't be peanut and nut free some days and not all days. It doesn't work that way."

When contacted by Yellowknifer, board chair Keri-Lyn Mcleod declined to comment and instead issued a written statement, stating the board was reimbursing the Leungs' play school fees for the day of the sale.

"It was determined by the play school that this was a reasonable plan and strategy to address the parent's concerns, rather than introducing a nut-free bake sale policy on relatively short notice the week before the bake sale," stated Mcleod.

"As with any space being accessed by multiple people on a daily basis, no one can 100 per cent guarantee that the space is nut-free at all times."

Natasha has contacted the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as well as the NWT Human Rights Commission and is awaiting their response.

"I think the school program and the teachers are excellent. I don't think they are putting the children's health above their fundraising needs when in my opinion they could," said Natasha. "I've informed the chairperson that although we won't go there anymore, I'm willing to work with them to educate them on why this is not acceptable."

In the meantime, Natasha is considering sending Colin to the Montessori school.

"We're a peanut-free school. We currently don't have any kids with peanut allergies until Natasha's son comes over in December," said Roselle Doyle, executive director at Montessori.

In Yellowknife, only J.H. Sissons School has a no-peanut and nut policy while all other schools are either peanut and nut aware or don't have a peanut and nut policy of any kind.

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