Officers from the local detachment of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) are investigating an incident at École Arthur-Pigeon in Huntingdon.
A spokesperson for the provincial police force confirmed this afternoon that the investigation is ongoing. She declined to comment further to avoid interfering with the investigation.
The Centre de Services Scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands (CSSVT) sent a letter addressed to all parents of students attending the high school on March 20. The Gleaner was able to obtain a copy of the letter, which included limited details about the situation.
Information representing a threat to the safety of students and school staff was discovered in a washroom toward the end of the day on March 19. The school administration immediately called the SQ, who dispatched officers to the scene to assess the severity of the threat.
While this was happening, the CSSVT activated its emergency assessment unit to ensure students and staff remained safe.
After analyzing the evidence, the SQ determined that the risk to those in the school was low. As a result, the CSSVT decided to keep the school open, while ensuring additional security measures were in place.
These measures included delaying the start of the school day to allow police officers to ensure the premises were secure. School administrators met with the staff before the start of classes to explain the situation and the measures being put in place. Access to the school by visitors was tightened, and all the surveillance cameras and alarm systems were checked to be sure they were functioning properly.
A professional support team was also established by the CSSVT for students and staff members.
A similar situation took place the day before at École de la Baie-Saint-François in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The Journal St-François reports that a minor may face accusations relating to the discovery of threatening graffiti at the high school. The graffiti, which suggested an incident could be perpetuated the following day, was found late Tuesday afternoon in a washroom. The SQ is continuing its investigation. The SQ, as well as a CSSVT emergency response unit, supervised the return of students on March 19. (SR)