On Monday, the roof in the library of Saskatoon’s École Canadienne Française- Pavillion Monique Rosseau collapsed. Fortunately, no one was in the library at the time.
This marks the second major roof failure at the 114-year-old school. In 2023, two classrooms and half the on-site daycare were forced to close because of extensive water damage caused by a gaping hole in the roof.
Students missed class time and the daycare located inside the classroom was disrupted for the entire school year – an issue that received public attention after the NDP released an historic image of two Sask. Party MLAs gawking at the damaged roof.
“Too many of the buildings our students
learn in every day are dangerous. A roof collapse inside a school building should never happen in a place like Saskatchewan,” said Matt Love, Shadow Minister for Education. “The Sask. Party has had years to step in and fix this issue. By doing nothing, they’re putting students and teachers’ safety at risk.”
Families were notified via email on Monday afternoon that a piece of the roof had fallen into the library, and the library would no longer be accessible for students pending an assessment from a contractor.
“We hear from parents across the province about neglected buildings and inappropriate learning spaces for a growing student population,” Love said. “This incident is a stark reminder of the Sask. Party’s negligence. It’s time for change, for a government that keeps students safe and gives them every chance to succeed.”
A report prepared by a government capital planning branch in June — and obtained by the Official Opposition in August through a freedom of information request — found 13 schools in the province were in “critical” condition and another 132 schools were in “poor” condition.
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