Roof collapses at Burlington school, concerns raised previously
Published July 4, 2023 at 2:13 pm
The Halton District School Board had concerns about the structural integrity of the roof at a Burlington school before it collapsed on the weekend.
Board officials say the collapse happened in the gymnasium at Glenview Public School on Sunday (July 2).
No injuries have been reported as the school was empty at the time. Classes ended for the school year last week.
However, the board had closed off the section of the school near the gymnasium in the days ahead of the collapse due to safety concerns.
A board official said before the incident an engineering firm was called in to assess the gym.
“Yes, there were some previous concerns,” according to the board official who asked not to be named. “Safety was a concern and students and staff were kept away from the area.”
The official could not comment on what had prompted the concerns but stressed that safety precautions were taken. Still, the official said it was a “surprise” that the roof section of the gym caved in. It is not known what directly caused the collapse.
Located on Townsend Ave., the school opened in 1969. It houses about 450 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6.
The board is currently assessing the damage to determine the best course of action and how repairs will be conducted. Engineers are also assessing the safety of the entire building.
It is not known how this will affect classes at the school starting in September, but the board official said they are looking at alternate plans for students just in case Glenview is not ready for the next school year.
The board has not officially released any information about the situation through normal social media channels but plans to release information directly to parents of the student who attend the school.