Whitehorse Daily Star

Letter explained lockdown event to parents

A Whitehorse school and a daycare were on lockdown Tuesday morning after the RCMP received reports of possible gunfire nearby.

By Amy Kenny on September 21, 2016

A Whitehorse school and a daycare were on lockdown Tuesday morning after the RCMP received reports of possible gunfire nearby.

Elijah Smith Elementary School and the Kwanlin Dün Daycare Centre, both located in the McIntyre subdivision, were locked down for roughly one hour.

A resident of the neighbourhood phoned the police at around 9:30 a.m., saying what sounded like shots had been heard in the wooded area near McIntyre Drive.

Ten RCMP officers responded.

One officer was placed at Elijah Smith.

Meanwhile, the RCMP asked the daycare to keep children inside.

They were unavailable for further comment today.

The Kwanlin Dün Daycare did not respond to the Star’s calls about the incident.

The school referred a call to the Department of Education.

Speaking about Elijah Smith, Penny Prysnuk, Area 2 Superintendent for the Department of Education, said all Yukon schools have their own individual safety plans, which, for safety reasons, are shared only within the school.

Details may include co-ordination of evacuation routes, locking doors, and keeping away from windows and doorways.

Prysnuk said staff and students followed the plan while officers patrolled the immediate area.

Officers searched the woods and neighbourhood.

They reported hearing what sounded like a second shot; however, the search uncovered nothing suspicious.

There were no reported injuries and no further complaints.

The school returned to normal operations at 11 a.m. when officers informed staff it was safe.

Children were sent home with a letter from the Department of Education explaining the incident.

Parents also received an emailed version of that letter.

“The safety of students and staff is the first priority for the Department of Education,” read the letter.

“To ensure schools are prepared for emergencies, all Yukon schools perform regular lockdown drills.

“In this case, staff and students at Elijah Smith did an excellent job in following proper protocols and acting swiftly to respond to the situation.”

Comments (11)

Up 10 Down 5

OJW on Sep 23, 2016 at 3:51 pm

Yes, Really, the plans are shared only within the school because they deal with a hole variety of emergency issues, some of which you don't want everyone to know. Does a bank reveal its security procedures to everyone?

Up 36 Down 4

ESES Parent on Sep 23, 2016 at 10:06 am

As a parent with two kids in the school - I applaud the staff for their efforts. The school did not make the decision to lock down, it was RCMP mandate. No the intercom and PA aren't working, but with the resources they had, they did a fabulous job. The school was locked down in very short order. I'm sorry if some parents felt they should have been contacted when it was happening, but in the event of a real situation they would only be adding more strain on an already taxing situation. Protocol is no contact outside the school during lockdown and that was done. As for people feeling the school needed to contact them personally via phone call after the lockdown - why not volunteer in the school and see how much free time the staff have to make 500 phone calls during the school day? I'd rather they take care of my kids.

Up 6 Down 12

Really? on Sep 22, 2016 at 1:50 pm

I quote:
Speaking about Elijah Smith, Penny Prysnuk, Area 2 Superintendent for the Department of Education, said all Yukon schools have their own individual safety plans, which, for safety reasons, are shared only within the school.

This sounds ridiculous and that "safety plans are only shared within the school" .

Up 25 Down 2

On Second Thought on Sep 22, 2016 at 10:21 am

I wonder if the letter mentioned that the school's PA and fire alarm system don't function, so the principal had to walk to every room to spread the word?

Up 40 Down 7

Stop complaining on Sep 22, 2016 at 9:16 am

As a non-parent, I think that if I did have kids this would have been the right thing to do. People complaining that they weren't informed? (I saw that on other media outlet comments) How are they expected to call every single kids' parent?!

If there is a possible threat, I would rather have a lock down instead of sending people outside and getting shot if there was actually a threat. If nothing was done, people would complain even more.

People these days...can't win with any of them. We've become a society of complainers because we must have nothing better in our lives to do.

Up 15 Down 7

Josey Wales on Sep 22, 2016 at 8:17 am

Gee I remember a time a few years ago I tried very hard for M to respond to gun activity in my Kulan hood. It took a very disparaging second call before they reluctantly responded.
Since I was shot at, not directly just an idiot on a trail who had his brain removed from birth...playing with shot guns and a .22
So here we have a complete lockdown?

Up 19 Down 12

Jonathan Colby on Sep 22, 2016 at 7:19 am

Well, bring on the downvotes, I agree with Max Mack. Something sounds like a gunshot. Ok. Dispatch officers to investigate, and post officers at facilities and intersections. A lockdown is a ridiculously over-the-top response. People need to stop watching the news and pay more attention to their community.

Up 14 Down 17

anonymous on Sep 21, 2016 at 5:58 pm

This is ridiculous. In Takhini I hear at least two or three gunshots in a row at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. TEN police officers for what sounded like a gunshot in a wooded area? They must have been bored.

Up 20 Down 5

jc on Sep 21, 2016 at 5:49 pm

Com'on Max, that's just standard safety procedure. Remember, they are children. What would you be saying now, if one of those children had been hit by a stray round because the police hadn't of ordered a lock down?

Up 27 Down 10

June Jackson on Sep 21, 2016 at 4:47 pm

In addition to more drug dealers and thieves floating around Whitehorse I think we've attracted more crazies too.

Locking down schools and day cares? Thats pretty big city.

Up 26 Down 42

Max Mack on Sep 21, 2016 at 3:45 pm

I appreciate the need for safety, but really? Someone heard something that maybe sounded like a gunshot -- and that requires a complete lockdown, replete with small army of police officers?

Hyper-militant police-state mentality coming to Canada?

Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar

In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.

Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.