Vandalism forces Gatineau, Que. secondary school to suspend classes

École secondaire Mont-Bleu is closed to students and staff after vandals broke inside the building over the long weekend. Gatineau, Que. Sept. 6, 2022. (Tyler Fleming / CTV News Ottawa)

École secondaire Mont-Bleu in Gatineau, Que. is closed to students and staff after vandals broke inside the building over the long weekend, damaged furniture and windows, and started a fire.

Police say fire crews responded to an alarm at the school on Boulevard de la Cité-des-Jeunes early Tuesday morning. Vandals had had set a fire in the administrative office.

Fire crews extinguished the flames, but there is water damage from the overhead sprinkler system. Vandals also smashed a large hole in at least one of the exterior windows.

“We are there with our investigation team and our forensics team to make all the analysis of the scene,” says Cst. Andrée East, with Gatineau police. “We will get all the evidence that we need for the investigation and from there we will be able to know more. At this point, we are not we are not asking the public for help, but if people have any information or if they have seen something or heard something, they are more than welcome to call at the police station.”

The school board, Centre de services scolaire des Portages-de-l’Outaouais, (CSPPO) noted that the school will remain closed Wednesday, but could be closed longer. Staff are working remotely and classes have been suspended with no word on when students might return, either in-person or through a virtual program.

The Mont-Bleu school currently operates from the Asticou Centre, a federal government training facility, after the original building was severely damaged by lightning during a violent storm in 2018, which also saw tornados pass through the area.

Classes in many parts of Quebec began Aug. 31.

Police say, at this time, there are no suspects.