Students won’t return to fire damaged Mount Forest school this year

Fire damage to a Mount Forest school was so extensive the Wellington Catholic District School Board says students won’t be able to return to their classrooms for the remainder of the year.

At around 6 a.m. on Jan. 25, flames was seen near the electrical room at St. Mary Catholic School. They were already shooting through the roof by the time firefighters arrived at the Parkside Drive property. No injuries were reported but damage to the building was significant.

Wellington North Deputy Fire Chief Callise Loos said Friday the cause of the fire was electrical but, due to the extensive damage in the electrical room, they were unable to determine the exact source. There was also lots of smoke and water damage in the building.

The estimated cost of the damage is more than $4 million.

In the week since the fire, the school board has been working to find temporary arrangements for students.

“We understand that this has been a challenging and unsettling situation for everyone involved and we are doing our best under the circumstances to have students return to their friends, classmates and teachers,” Michele Hasson, the principal of St. Mary Catholic School, said in a media release.

Crews were called to St. Marys Catholic School Wednesday morning after flames were seen in the electrical room. Stefanie Davis reports.

That plan was announced by the school board on Friday.

They said classes for students in kindergarten to Grade 4 would be held at First Baptist Church, which was the former Mount Forest Public School. Students in Grade 5 through to Grade 8, meanwhile, will go to St. Mary of the Purification Roman Catholic Church.

The first day of in-person classes at the new locations will be Wednesday, Feb. 7.

The school board said they will also continue to offer student transportation to the churches.