Trout River school might have washed away, if not for quick response

Trout River, a small town in Gros Morne National Park, came close to losing its only school on Tuesday when the land under the back of the school began to to erode into the neighbouring river.

Workers with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District  (NLESD) were at Jakeman All Grade Tuesday, doing repairs to the front parking lot area.

That's when one of the contractors noticed the ground giving way on the back of the school near the gymnasium and brought it to the attention of the town and the district.

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"Within hours this erosion was just eating away, there was so much tide behind the school," said Deputy Mayor Gloria Barnes.

"You could watch the erosion happening so it became a very critical situation."

Barnes suspects the school would have been in serious jeopardy within an hour or two if the erosion hadn't been caught so quickly.

Officials with the province were immediately called and Barnes credits the quick work from several provincial government departments for saving Jakeman All Grade.

"Within hours the equipment, the rocks, everything was moving to Trout River to get this secure," she said. 

"It was amazing. I am so thankful for so many levels of government today."

The school seemed to be secure during an inspection on Tuesday night, and the tide has receded in the ocean nearby.

A structural engineer will asses the site, the NLESD told CBC News Wednesday afternoon.

The disctrict said it will await a report on the status of the school and surrounding property. In the meantime, work continues to stabilize the site and direct water away from the school. 

Officials have been exploring other spaces in the community where classes can be held, in the chance that building is still not deemed safe in the coming days.

Residents displaced

Residents of four homes on Herb Street had to leave their homes Tuesday due to landslide fears, at the direction of the Department of Municipal Affairs.

An engineer will be doing inspections on that area on Wednesday, according to the town, but residents of those four homes are staying with family until they are cleared to return.

Barnes said the flooding and close call with the school has made for a stressful few days for the community.

"People were just afraid. Our school is the centre point of our community. We still have an average of 90 kids in our school so it's still quite busy for a small community."