VANCOUVER -- A Vancouver Island secondary school that has been the victim of two suspicious fires in two weeks will have an extra, full-time security guard on staff when classes resume Monday.
The Cowichan Valley School District announced the new, temporary position at Chemainus Secondary School in a news release Saturday.
The district also said the school would have an extra daytime custodian on a temporary basis, adding that the additional staffing would continue as the district works with RCMP to determine who is responsible for the fires.
The first suspicious blaze at Chemainus Secondary happened on Feb. 20 and forced the school to close for two days. That fire started in a student washroom on the school's second floor.
The second fire happened Friday, Feb. 28, and the district said it affected "the lower part of the school."
Clean-up has been ongoing over the weekend, and school will resume on Monday. The district said the area where the second fire happened will be inaccessible to students, but "it will not adversely affect classroom use."
In addition to the extra staff, the district said it will provide additional counselling resources for students and staff who need them. The school will also "strictly enforce" a classroom sign-in/out protocol, the district said.
"It is our hope that these temporary additional precautions, coupled with the ongoing RCMP investigation will ensure the safety of everyone in our school," the district said.
Anyone with information about the fires is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment at 250-748-5522. Tips can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
