A middle school in Victoria will be closed all day on Feb. 10 due to a break-in where fire extinguishers were discharged.
In a notice posted on social media, the Greater Victoria School District previously said the school was expected to re-open at noon, but in an update, it said the school would need to be closed all day.
“Unfortunately, given the current condition of the school, crews require additional time to complete cleaning up the damage from last night’s vandalism,” the notice on social media says.
Const. Markus Anastasiades, spokesperson for Saanich Police, says officers responded to the alarm going off around 3:15 a.m.
“Officers discovered that unknown person(s) gained entry to the school and discharged several (4) fire extinguishers throughout the building,” Anastasiades said in an email to CHEK News. “The investigation is ongoing.”
A spokesperson for the Greater Victoria School District tells CHEK News the vandalism is expected to take two days to clean up.
“Our Facilities crew is currently on-site,” Lisa McPhail, manager of communications and community engagement said in an email. “It is anticipated that it will take today and tomorrow to clean up the debris that was discharged from extinguishers.”
McPhail says there was a break-in at the school and fire extinguishers were discharged in the school, leaving behind “extensive particulate.”
The facilities team is working to clean up the vandalism, and families will be kept updated through email of what is going on.
Anyone with information or who may have seen anything suspicious in the area is asked to call Saanich Police at 250-475-4321 or report what they know anonymously through the Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Laura Brougham
