Days after a pouch containing the powerful opioid fentanyl was found on the grounds of a Nanaimo elementary school, parent volunteers doing a safety check located other concerning items, including a needle and traces of more drugs.
The pouch was found by an École Quarterway Elementary student who did not know what it contained and took it home.“On advice of our school’s safety committee, we have suspended ground-cleaning activities until further notice,” principal Arlette Begoum-Kaké said in a letter to school families.
“Unfortunately, it’s not really surprising,” she said. “Nanaimo has really struggled a lot in the last few years with a lot of visible unhoused and visible, open drug use.” “Most of the schools do have some sort of designated staff person whose job it is to do a walk-through of the school grounds,” she said. “Unfortunately this kind of thing happens. It highlights how bad it’s gotten in town.”
“The school district is also working on installing new signage around our school property to remind the public that this is private property,” she said. “We are also discussing the need for district personnel to trim bushes, as items can easily be hidden and difficult to remove in these areas.”“We continue to work closely with our Nanaimo RCMP school-liaison officer, who will continue to support our school in any capacity.
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