No sign of bombs after Nunavut school, airport threat, RCMP says
Sima Sahar Zerehi | CBC News | Posted: September 22, 2016 2:24 PM | Last Updated: September 22, 2016
'These types of incidents can be traumatic and cause stress to everyone involved'
No flights were affected as RCMP responded to a bomb threat around 11:30 a.m. at the Iqaluit airport Thursday — the same day that schools across the territory were closed due to similar threats.
In a news release, police said the airport threat was "non-credible" and posed no risk to the public.
RCMP also said that "false complaints such as these can impact the ability for police to respond to other public safety requirements."
'This type of threat is taken very seriously'
Schools across Nunavut were closed Thursday morning after the RCMP received a threat at 9 a.m. that bombs had been placed in schools in all three regions of the territory.
"A threat has been received similar to the threats that were received in P.E.I. over the last day or two," said RCMP Sgt. David Lawson.
The Government of Nunavut issued a news release shortly afterwards asking parents and guardians to pick up their children immediately.
"This type of threat is taken very seriously and the Government of Nunavut is working with the RCMP to take every precaution to keep students and school staff safe," stated the release.
School emergency evacuation plans were put into motion without incident.
By noon, police said all schools had been checked, and no bombs found.
"These types of incidents can be traumatic and cause stress to everyone involved in our communities," stated a news release.
Schools began re-opening in the afternoon.
'False or not, students come first'
"Although we don't belive the threats to be credible we have to take the proper precautions and close the schools," said Lawson Thursday morning.
The RCMP said the threats were similar to threats received in other parts of Canada and the United States recently, which have proven to be hoaxes.
"Whether it's false or not, students come first," said the minister of education, Paul Quassa.
He said all schools in the Baffin region were cleared of students "in a matter of 10 minutes."
"My department does have a crisis response manual for schools and they are following the steps outlined in the manual," he said.
Nunavut schools were sent a note Wednesday reminding them of the strategy after the P.E.I. threats, said Quassa.
"It's probably a false alarm but it's scary enough when schools are closing," says Dan Wade who has a daughter in Grade 6 in Iqaluit's Aqsarniit middle school.
Parents and teachers were using social media to communicate with families about the closures. Principal Mathew Knickelbein used a public Facebook group to alert parents that Nanook School in Apex had phone problems and that parents need to come to pick up their children.