Brief closure of Halifax school raises concerns about conditions

A Halifax parent is concerned about mould, rodent problems and temperature fluctuations at the south-end school his two children attend.

Jesse LeGallais's kids go to St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay Elementary, which is temporarily located at the site of the former Ecole Beaufort while a replacement school is built.

However, after the school's closure on Monday due to flooding in the basement and heating issues, he now finds the situation "disconcerting."

"It's not ideal would be an understatement," LeGallais told CBC Radio's Information Morning. 

The school reopened Tuesday and LeGallais said the Halifax Regional Centre for Education sent out a message saying the basement floor remains closed, so some children are instead taking classes in the gym.

While St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay is set to be replaced by September 2025, LeGallais said he is growing frustrated by the process. 

"It's OK that it's taking time to build a school. It's not OK that there's no communication. It's not OK that the [Beaufort] building is in many ways falling apart. And it's not OK that these interruptions weren't at least reasonably foreseen," he said in an interview on Tuesday.

Waiting for new school 

The St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay school replacement project was announced in 2018 and was expected to be completed by 2023. Since then, the project has been expanded to include a fourth floor, delaying its construction. 

Last year, it was announced that students and parents would have to wait another school year for their new school due to shortages in material, labour and equipment. 

LeGallais said people will get tired of waiting, especially given the condition of the Beaufort building. 

"If there is a delay announced one more time, all the air will be sucked out of the room for the staff and for the students and for the parents. I think that that school better be ready next fall," he said. 

The new school is described in a project status report as a "modern, daylight filled learning environment, maximizing use of [the] existing site." After so many delays, though, LeGallais is unsure if the space will be ready for the next academic year. 

 "At this point, nobody is very confident."

New schools announced

Information Morning contacted the Education Department and the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, but neither agreed to an interview. The HRCE said parents will hear about the project again in December. 

The Education Department announced last week it will construct three replacement schools in Bedford, Dartmouth and the Armdale neighbourhood in Halifax.