Tornado-damaged Vaughan school may not be ready for school year, board says

York Catholic school officials are preparing a contingency plan in case a Vaughan elementary school damaged by last week’s tornado is not ready to open as scheduled on Sept. 8.

St. Peter’s school, on Andrew Park Road near Martin Grove Road and Highway 7, was “significantly” damaged in the storm, with the roof lifting in parts and allowing the deluge in, York Catholic District School Board spokeswoman Chris Cable said on Monday.

“We had three [ventilation] units that were completely torn off the roof by the tornado,” Ms. Cable said during a news conference with Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson. Maintenance and engineering crews, along with insurance adjustors, were working to assess the extent of the damage, which is all reparable, she noted.

School begins on Sept. 8, but officials could not guarantee St. Peter’s would be ready by that date, citing the need to ensure a “100% safe environment” for all staff and approximately 400 students.

“If the school isn’t ready on time, we will have an alternative location for them,” Ms. Cable said, with the primary goal being to find somewhere “nearby, and trying to keep everyone together.”

All of the Red Cross emergency shelters set up in the region are being shut down Monday evening, Ms. Jackson said, but the agency would keep information facilities open at shelter locations.

The York Region community police station set up at the corner of Martin Grove and Highway 7 was also being removed, the mayor said, and residents making donations for disaster relief were urged to contact the Red Cross.

Nearly 40 homes in the region remained unfit for habitation, a few of which will have to be demolished. Some residents in the affected areas will be able to move back in weeks, but for others rebuilding will take months.

Cleanup was continuing in forested areas, with a few “hot spots” remaining in terms of tree removal, Ms. Jackson said.

The city was still waiting on damage estimates from the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

One man who had a heart attack and fell into a coma after his home was destroyed by the tornado remained in intensive care, officials said, but appeared to be improving.

Also, a local builder made a public donation to a homeowner who opened up his house to displaced residents during the peak of the disaster, offering food and showers.

Ms. Jackson said despite the catastrophic nature of the tornado, the aftermath was “heartwarming.”

“I don’t know if we’ll ever be back to the way we ever were, I mean in a good way, because I think this community has even become a closer-knit community.”