Saskatoon divisions say aging ventilation infrastructure will stand up to pandemic pressures

Parents can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to ventilation at Saskatoon's two major school divisions, as officials said systems are functioning well, despite the fact both are operating with aging airflow infrastructure.

Ventilation and airflow gained renewed focus as people started discussing plans to return to school, since the federal government detailed in its guidelines calls for increased ventilation and for schools to ensure their systems are in proper working order.

Officials with the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools said while ventilation systems are functioning normally, some of them are getting old, specifically in the division's portable classrooms. 

In fact, more than half of them are approaching the end of their life span, with 57 of 83 needing to be replaced in the next three to five years. This isn't sitting well with Ana Matei, a Grade 10 student at St. Joseph's High School. 

"During a global pandemic, that's honestly scary," she said.

She says the portable classrooms are usually a busy spot and to hear they're operating with aging infrastructure is unsettling. 

It's unclear at which schools the aging units are located, but Matei said the division as a whole should be making the replacement of these units a priority, starting with the division's elementary schools. 

"It's easier for us, when we're older, to know how to keep ourselves safe," she said. "But for the smaller kids, it's kind of harder for them to know, especially in the lower-level grades."

Joel Lloyd, Chief Financial Officer with the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools acknowledged the units were approaching the end of their life span, but said they're still functioning properly. 

"They're functioning, they're operable, there's no concerns there," he said.

When asked how the division could be certain the units are running as well as they were at the beginning of their lifespan, Lloyd said the division has maintenance staff trained in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) within the division, making sure they're working correctly. 

He said downtime over the last few months at the schools due to COVID-19 has been used to catch up on maintenance and work on these systems in schools, noting the division has a contingency plan in place to ensure airflow and ventilation continues. 

Lloyd added however that even if the school division were in a position to replace the units this year, other pandemic-fuelled challenges are at play when it comes to acquiring the equipment. 

"They're dependent on manufacturers," said Lloyd. "And those manufacturers were also, and are, impacted by COVID, so there is a delay in getting new equipment right now, we're finding." 

Lloyd said the division has also ordered 50 air-purifier units that will be used to supplement airflow and ventilation where needed and is preparing to purchase more.

Saskatoon public has also put at least three projects that may have improved air quality and ventilation at the division on hold. 

This includes the replacement of three rooftop units at Lakeridge School, the replacement of a rooftop unit at Roland Michener and the replacement of the original rooftop unit at Lester B Pearson. 

A statement from the Saskatoon Public Schools said these projects are planned maintenance to "avoid breakdown or repairs of essential infrastructure systems," but that the systems "continue to meet current requirements for filtration and fresh air supply."

"Maintenance staff ensure the proper fit of filters, conduct regularly scheduled maintenance, and complete visual inspections to ensure cleanliness and optimal operating efficiency," the statement noted.  "The operation of the entire HVAC system is verified regularly to ensure that it is functioning properly." 

Both the Saskatoon Public School Division and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools indicated they'll be ramping up ventilation during the coming school year, while also opening more windows and encouraging outdoor classes, to ensure everyone is safe. 

While the Government of Canada outlined ventilation as part of it's back-to-school guidelines, it's not included in Saskatchewan's provincial back-to-school plan. However, some school divisions, Saskatoon public and Saskatoon Catholic, have integrated information about airflow into packages sent to parents earlier this month. 

Keith Warriner, a microbiologist and a professor at the Department of Food Sciences at the University of Guelph, said having some ventilation is better than none. 

He feels there should be a greater focus on ventilation when it comes to combating the COVID-19 virus. 

"In a lot of ways, it's not a virus you acquire from the surface, it's a virus you breathe in, or it goes through your eyes or your nose, so ventilation of air, circulation of air is quite an essential feature," he said. 

Warriner noted while mask use and sanitizing is critical, the protections will only go so far in protection if people are contained to an enclosed space for a prolonged period of time breathing the same, still air.  

"Even if wearing masks, it's not 100 per cent protection," he said. 

"What's needed — and we're going back to the SARS outbreak all those years ago when studies were done — you need systems that can change the air within a room about 12 times and a dated ventilation system might have the capacity, it might not."

For Matei, while she has some concerns around the return-to-school plan overall, she said she's excited to get back to school, as she's been missing the structure and the stability. 

But even with the excitement, she says many students are still concerned and she doesn't expect schools to be case-free for long.

"In the States, they closed within a week," she said. "For us, I feel like it's going to last about a month until we have at least a case. We don't think it's going to go really well at all, especially with the current measures."