Skip to content

Mildred Hall traffic study in works after child struck by vehicle in June

A study intended to improve the flow of traffic and safety of students at Mildred Hall is in the works.

Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1) is working on the project with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as well as the city, said Tram Do, director of corporate services, at Yk1’s public board meeting Tuesday evening.

“(The education department) has engaged some consultants that are specialists in this area,” said Do. “We will also be engaging the City of Yellowknife to assist us in the interim to make some modifications to make the Mildred Hall drop-off a safer zone for students and parents.”

On June 15, a vehicle struck a young boy in the Mildred Hall parking lot around 3:30 p.m.

The injured child was sent to Stanton Territorial Hospital and later to Edmonton for medical treatment, according to a news release from Yk1.

At the time, superintendent Metro Huculak said the district would work with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to determine whether changes to traffic patterns were necessary.

“We will be doing a joint letter to the city, with the department of education, to ask for their assistance to make Mildred Hall safe,” said Do. “Safety is of the most utmost priority.”

Asbestos to be abated at some Yk1 schools

Yk1 is planning to put out a request for proposals soon for asbestos abatement at some of its schools.

Tram Do, director of corporate services, updated the school board about the issue Tuesday evening.

On Sept. 28, parents received a letter from the school district stating asbestos had been found at J.H. Sissons School, Mildred Hall School and Sir John Franklin High School during a hazardous materials assessment of Yk1’s buildings.

There was no risk to students, staff or the public, the letter said.

At the time, superintendent Metro Huculak told Yellowknifer the asbestos was found in items such as a storage room pipe at J.H. Sissons and a tile at Mildred Hall.

The latest air quality report from Associated Environmental Consultants Inc., which performed the assessment, concluded there is no risk to students or staff “as no asbestos fibres were identified in public utilized spaces,” said Do.

“We tested the air quality for three days and the results came back and there is no threat,” she said. “Any areas that had anything, it was well below the published occupational exposure limit. So it is deemed safe.”

The GNWT is taking on the abatement of Sir John Franklin High School, said Do.

Election of board chair, vice-chair scheduled for November

Yk1’s board chair and vice-chair will be chosen next month during the school board’s organizational meeting.

The public meeting takes place at the district office on Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m.

It will be chaired by superintendent Metro Huculak, who will call for nominations from trustees for the two positions, according to John Stephenson, the current board chair.

If more than one person puts their name forward for the position, there will be an election, said Stephenson.

“We do that on an annual basis,” he said, adding he intends to let his name stand for next year, which is the final year of the school board’s three-year term.

“School boards will be having elections a year from now,” he said.

Allan Shortt is currently the acting vice-chair at Yk1.

He took on the position after former vice-chair Duff Spence moved from Yellowknife earlier this year.

Satish Garikaparthi was named as a trustee in September, following Shortt’s move into the vice-chair role.