Latest news with #YK1
CBC
14-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
More water testing confirms high levels of lead at Yellowknife's William McDonald school
High levels of lead have been confirmed in the water at William McDonald School in Yellowknife after another round of testing. The N.W.T.'s chief public health officer has formally issued do-not-consume orders for the water at William McDonald, as well as Range Lake North. The orders come a month after parents and staff at the schools were informed high lead levels had been detected at both schools. On Wednesday, the school board sent another update to parents saying additional testing was completed on May 27 as well as June 12 and 13. Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1) said a "flushing protocol" to let the water run briefly before use would be required at Range Lake North. It said more work will have to be done to identify where high lead levels are coming from at William McDonald, and identify how to mitigate it. "The water system will remain closed for drinking until these steps are completed," YK1 wrote. Shortly thereafter, the N.W.T. government released the results of its follow-up testing in a news release. The government said it had two types of tests done: random sampling, "to get a snapshot of lead levels during normal water use," and something called exceedance protocol testing — basically, a "stress test" that's more likely to show higher levels of lead. Both tests showed elevated lead levels at parts of William McDonald. Only the stress test showed high results at parts of Range Lake North. What do those tests mean? At William McDonald, random sampling showed seven of 13 spots had elevated lead levels. Some were up to four times higher than Health Canada's recommendation of no more than five micrograms of lead per litre. The highest level was found in a staff room sink on the second floor, where lead levels measured 20 micrograms per litre. The stress test, however, showed significantly higher results. That test was measured in two ways: water that had sat overnight for eight hours, to replicate how lead could leach into the water from plumbing; and water that was collected after the tap was flushed for five minutes, followed by half an hour of sitting, which was meant to replicate regular conditions. A sink in a media room on the school's first floor showed 566 micrograms per litre in water that had sat — more than 100 times Health Canada's recommended amount — and 105.7 micrograms after the tap had been flushed. Two locations on the second floor showed higher lead results after being flushed than after sitting. Range Lake North, on the other hand, only showed elevated lead levels during the stress test, and only in water that had sat overnight. Three of 12 testing spots showed lead levels between 5.8 and nine micrograms per litre. Ongoing assessment The territorial government said the results are part of an ongoing assessment of lead in school drinking water systems being conducted by engineering and environmental consulting firm Stantec. It said the final report summarizing the findings is expected "shortly." The release says that "most children who have lead in their blood do not show immediate symptoms." "However, even low levels of lead can result in subtle neurodevelopmental issues, particularly in young children." The update also cited recent health monitoring by the University of Ottawa and University of Waterloo that tested residents in Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, and Dettah from 2017 to 2024. It found lead levels in children and parents to be low. The release said the territorial government will continue to share updates on the situation. "We understand that many families, educators, and community members will have questions," the release said.
CBC
12-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.W.T. ministers press feds to maintain Jordan's Principle funding through 2026
Northwest Territories politicians are lobbying federal officials to extend Jordan's Principle funding through 2026. Earlier this year, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), announced it would be narrowing the range of eligible requests under the program that was created to ensure First Nations children don't face gaps or service denials because of their identities. The announcement has created uncertainty in N.W.T. schools, where many education assistant positions (EAs) are funded with money from Jordan's Principle. In Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1) alone, schools are bracing to lose 79 EAs. On a trip to Ottawa earlier this month, N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland said she and other N.W.T. cabinet ministers stressed the urgency of the funding, in as many meetings as they could. "If you want more tradespeople, if you want to be able to really focus on Arctic sovereignty, if you want to build healthy communities together and be able to focus on economic development as a country, as one economy, it really does rely on children having access to education," Cleveland told CBC News. "And that's what Jordan's Principle is about." The changes in Jordan's Principle come after some reportedly used the funding for things like home renovations, gaming consoles and, in one case, a zip line kit. Cleveland acknowledged those abuses of the program but said that's not what's happening with education bodies using Jordan's Principle funds for EAs. "We are seeing education bodies really work hard to ensure that they are carrying the spirit and intent of the policy … and addressing the needs of Indigenous children," she said. The changes would also mean that every Jordan's Principle funding application must come from a referral by a health-care professional. N.W.T. Health Minister Lesa Semmler said that will further strain a system already stretched thin. "When we look at the amount of children that are going to need assessments and referrals, that is going to put a huge burden," Semmler said. "And many of our small communities where these children are getting supports don't have a health professional." Cleveland said their federal counterparts seemed to understand their concerns when they met in Ottawa this month. But she says the N.W.T. officials didn't hear an answer, or a timeline for when they might know whether the funding will be extended. "We simply don't have those answers, but we're going to continue to pull the levers that we have," she said. Cleveland said they're also in the process of coming up with a contingency plan in case the federal government does not extend the funding. "This is one of the things that certainly does keep us up at night because of the dire impacts that it could have. We have a fragile system," she said.
CBC
06-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Yellowknife parents anxious about losing 'invaluable' educational assistants
Social Sharing Sandy Balmer says it was a complete surprise to her, to learn that her son may no longer have an educational assistant available to help him when he starts Grade 7 next year. "I was stunned to hear that it had come down to this," the Yellowknife mother said. "I had not heard the federal government was looking at Jordan's Principle funding." Yellowknife Education District No.1 (YK1) said this week that because of the federal government's recent changes to the Jordan's Principle program, it may no longer have the funding to keep 79 of the district's education assistants next school year. Jordan's Principle was established by Ottawa to ensure that First Nations children get equal access to public services. But concerns about reported misuse of the funding prompted the government earlier this year to make sweeping changes and review its policies and procedures. Balmer said her son's educational assistant (EA) has been "invaluable" to him and his learning. She says her son has a learning disability and having an EA in the classroom helps him regulate his emotions and maintain his focus. He's had access to an EA since kindergarten. "The school recommended that we access Jordan's Principle funding for a classroom assistant for him," Balmer recalled. "He requires just a little bit extra attention, a little bit extra focus and redirection when he's learning." She says other kids in the classroom have also benefited from having that EA available. The educational assistants "were doing great work," she said. "Like, he wouldn't be where he is without these people, for sure." She says she's especially anxious as her son will be starting high school after next year. "I'm actually quite concerned about how his learning will be supported, if he doesn't have these people in his life." Schools will 'look and feel different' YK1 superintendent Shirley Zouboules says it's not clear when officials might get a definitive answer from Ottawa about the funding it's applied for, for next year. That's why the school district gave notice to the 79 EAs that they might not have jobs next school year. "I have no sense of when we will hear back. As it currently stands, we have not heard back directly on any of the applications that we have submitted," Zouboules said on Thursday morning. Losing those positions means YK1 schools "are going to look and feel different," she said. "Certainly it's going to have an impact," she said. "It's going to be significant. We have a staff of 330 currently — that includes all of our teachers and support — and we'll lose 24 per cent." Zouboules said YK1 has funding right now for 39 EAs for next year. CBC News requested an interview with N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland about the changes to Jordan's Principle and what it could mean for the territory's schools. A department spokesperson said Cleveland was not available for an interview as she was in Ottawa meeting with officials and advocating for the continuation of the "incredibly important" program. Asked whether the education department might now fill any funding gap, spokesperson Christina Carrigan said in an email to CBC News that "the focus right now is on advocating to the federal government." "The [Government of N.W.T.] cannot afford to take on the programs that the federal government introduces and does not continue," she wrote.
CBC
04-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Yellowknife school district bracing for loss of 79 education assistants from change in Jordan's Principle
Yellowknife Education District No.1 (YK1) says it no longer has the funding to keep 79 of the district's educational assistants next school year as a result of recent changes to Jordan's Principle. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) announced earlier this year that it would be narrowing the range of eligible requests for funding through Jordan's Principle, a program established to ensure First Nations children don't face gaps or service denials because of their identities. In a news release Tuesday, YK1 superintendent Shirley Zouboules wrote that the district has applied for Jordan's Principle funding but is still waiting for a reply. Without the funding confirmed, Zouboules said 79 educational assistants in term, or temporary, positions have been told their positions likely won't exist next school year. Zouboules said that YK1's eight schools will adapt and that students previously supported by the 79 educational assistants not returning next year will be reassigned to the remaining educational assistants. "Assignments will be prioritized to ensure safety and promote student success," Zouboules wrote. MLA for Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh Richard Edjericon said Łutsël Kʼé is losing five educational assistants as a result of the changes.
CBC
27-05-2025
- General
- CBC
High levels of lead detected in water at 2 Yellowknife schools
Levels of lead that are higher than the maximum acceptable concentration have been detected in the drinking water at École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School in Yellowknife. Notices sent from the school board to parents and staff on Monday said lead levels in École William McDonald's drinking water were detected at 0.00903 milligrams per litre and 0.025 milligrams per litre at Range Lake school. Canada's drinking water guidelines state the maximum acceptable level is 0.005 milligrams per litre. As a precaution, all sources of drinking and cooking water at the schools will be unavailable, the notices from Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1) said. Bottled water and bulk water dispensers will be provided for students and staff. The notices said the water at the schools is safe for hand washing and cleaning. In April, N.W.T.-wide testing took place for lead in school drinking water. A sample taken from the water fountain by the elevator on the first floor of William McDonald found the lead level at 0.00903 milligrams. A sample at Range Lake from the water fountain on the main floor near the staff room showed lead levels of 0.025 milligrams. The single samples are not conclusive, the notices said. More testing needs to be completed to rule out sampling errors. The school board said the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is working with the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer to do so. The notices said the city regularly tests for lead in drinking water and that treated water from the City of Yellowknife is safe to drink. "Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures," it said. The school board said it is working to identify potential sources of exposure. "Exposure to high levels of lead over time can cause adverse health effects such as reduced cognition, increased blood pressure and renal dysfunction in adults, as well as adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioural effects in children," the notice said. More water samples will be taken in the coming weeks, including all water fountains and cold water taps where water is used for drinking and food preparation.
