SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Eight children at Range Lake North elementary school ended up in the emergency room on Tuesday morning, while other students were treated at the school, after bear spray was discovered on playground equipment.
Vandals sprayed this playground equipment with bear spray at some point over the weekend. - Jessica Davey-Quantick/NNSL photo |
The school was alerted to the problem after students complained of burning eyes and skin around their noses and mouths.
"It was sprayed on the equipment, on the slides and then equipment where kids grab onto handles and seats and things like that," said Yellowknife Education District No. 1 superintendent Metro Huculak. "At first it looked like somebody put hot sauce on it."
Staff also discovered broken windows at the school.
Huculak told Yellowknifer staff reacted immediately to the complaints by bringing children inside and not allowing them back on the playground until the equipment had been sprayed down with pressure washers.
"The bear spray would land on the sand as well, so we've got to make sure that's all cleaned up so the kids are safe," he said.
Bear spray, a type of pepper spray, is designed to deter aggressive bears and has about 1 to 2 per cent more of the active ingredients - capsaicin and related capsaicinoids -than pepper spray. While bear spray is legal in Canada for use against bears, it becomes a prohibited weapon when used against humans. Canadian Tire currently has cans of bear spray available for less than $60.
By Tuesday afternoon, the affected students were back in class and the playground had been cleaned up. In a statement to parents posted on the school's web page, principal Jodi Lee-Lewis advised the playground had been cleaned and is off limits to all public. She advised parents to flush the area with milk if symptoms are reported, and if severe symptoms continue, to visit the emergency department at Stanton Territorial Hospital.
 | Not first time school has been vandalized | 
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Huculak said a can of bear spray was discovered in a nearby garbage can. Huculak says police are investigating. The RCMP could not be reached for comment by press time, however Huculak says a can of bear spray was discovered in a nearby garbage can.
"I know the police are there, they found the bear-spray can and they were working on getting finger prints. We'll work closely with the authorities," he said.
This isn't the first time the school has been vandalized. Huculak said graffiti was sprayed on school property over the summer and windows broken.
"Unfortunately schools in our community suffer from vandalism from time to time," said board chairperson John Stephenson. "We are in discussion with the Department of Education to see if they can provide us with some support, with some increased surveillance on the property."
This is the first time either Stephenson or Huculak have heard of bear spray being used to vandalize Yellowknife school property.
"So, I'm hopeful that this doesn't encourage anyone else to do that, because it's quite unacceptable evil to put that kind of a product on a public space, especially where children are playing," said Stephenson. "There's no logical reason to explain why people destroy and damage public property."
In August, five playgrounds in Toronto were vandalized when peanut butter was smeared on play equipment. Huculak said janitors will now be performing morning checks in Yk1 schools in order to check for damage and ensure there is no more bear spray on the equipment.
RCMP confirmed they are investigating.
"This senseless mischief undermines that sense of safe play, and we want to find those who may be responsible for this act," stated RCMP Spokesperson Marie York-Condon in a news release.
The district was already considering surveillance cameras and Huculak said they're currently getting an estimate for a security system, as well as asking for police patrols to go around the school more often.
"We're going to be extra cautious now," he said.
