THUNDER BAY – UPDATED – With news of yet another anonymous threat to Hammarskjold High School and the expansion of the threat to Superior Collegiate the level of concern from staff, students, and parents are continuing to grow.
So are efforts to deal with the problems caused by the school closures.
Thunder Bay Police have been taking the ongoing situation very seriously. TBPS has been working the case.
Police and school officials are asking the students, parents, and public to remain patient.
Reward up to $7000
Got a tip. Call the Thunder Bay Police at 684-5001
The Lakehead Public School Board has offered a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for this ongoing threat to the high schools. The members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) District 6A have donated $1,000 to the reward for the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the recent school threats. Crimestoppers is in for $1000.
That brings the total reward being offered to $7,000. Got a tip. Call the Thunder Bay Police at 684-5001.
UPDATE: The Crime Stoppers $1000 reward is NOT associated with the other rewards being offered. The only way for someone to receive the $1000 reward from Crime Stoppers is to put a tip through our us, not the line that has been created for this by the police. Crime Stoppers is the only way for someone giving information that their identity will remain anonymous.
To contact Crime Stoppers
In Thunder Bay: 623-8477
Out of town: 1-800-222-8477
or submit on line at www.p3tips.com/273
At Hammarskjold High School, teachers are working to put classroom work online so that students, no matter what the issue, will not fall further behind.
This could be a suggestion that officials are no nearer to a solution today, but more likely it is a matter of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure.
Hammarskjold High School parents and guardians are invited to attend an information session with regard to the anonymous threat issue on Thursday, April 11. The session will be held in the Hammarskjold gym at 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm EDT.
Some in Thunder Bay are suggesting this issue is “domestic terrorism” and that the RCMP should be called in.
It is not known if the TBPS as the police service with the jurisdiction over policing in Thunder Bay has called in extra resources from other police services. However, over recent months, Thunder Bay Police have been working with a Joint Task Force consisting of the OPP, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service and Anishinabek Police Service.
The RCMP have a presence in Northwestern Ontario as well. However, it doesn’t appear the TBPS have asked the RCMP for assistance in this matter.
“The “O” Division RCMP is responsible for federal policing in Ontario and has primary law enforcement authority in federal matters such as Serious and Organized Crime, Financial Crime, and National Security. The threats that you referred to would fall to the police of jurisdiction to handle. If the police of jurisdiction had a reason to believe the matter fell under our mandate, they would contact us,” says RCMP Sgt. Penny Hermann.
There has been an extremely fast response to the threats by the Thunder Bay Police Service as well as very speedy communications to help keep the public informed.
As is standard procedure in police investigations there is a critical balance between what can be shared with the public and what is key to keeping the investigation going without tipping off the suspect or suspects in this ongoing series of threats.
As this situation continues to evolve, the real message is to keep things going. With the Hammarskjold teachers doing that, it is surely just a matter of time before the Police make a long-awaited arrest in this case.
Heather Irwin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education says, “Student safety is the top priority for the government. Lakehead District School Board has kept ministry staff apprised of this situation and the ministry will continue to monitor. The Education Act gives school boards the authority to make decisions on whether or not to close schools based on a number of factors including extreme circumstances such as school threats/safety concerns of students and staff.
“Boards and schools have flexibility in how they accommodate for lost instructional time. Teachers and principals are responsible for adjusting curriculum planning to ensure that curriculum expectations are covered and assessed. At this time, we are not aware of consideration being given by boards to extend the school year.”
