Victoria school fire prompts early dismissal due to water damage
Firefighters responded to Central Middle School at 1280 Fort Street when the school's fire alarm went off around 11:15 a.m. (CTV News)
A Victoria middle school sustained water damage Monday, prompting students to be dismissed early, after a fire in a bathroom set off the school's sprinkler system.
Firefighters responded to Central Middle School at 1280 Fort Street when the school's fire alarm went off around 11:15 a.m.
"When we arrived the principal came and told us there was a small fire going in the bathroom so by the time we got into the unit the sprinkler had released and put it out," said Victoria fire Capt. Tim Hanley, adding it was the paper towel dispenser that had caught fire.
"It was quite a bit of water throughout all the second floor, dripping down into the first floor."
The school was evacuated while firefighters assessed the scene.
"Students and staff have been cleared to return to the school’s gymnasium," Greater Victoria School District spokesperson Lisa McPhail said in a notice to parents provided to CTV News.
"However, due to some water damage caused by sprinklers, the school is planning for an early dismissal."
McPhail said teachers would contact parents for permission to dismiss children early. If a guardian cannot be reached the student will remain at school until the regular dismissal time at 2:45 p.m., she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Vancouver
-
B.C. woman tries to coax trapped orca calf out of tidal lagoon with her violin
A Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf with her violin, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks.
-
Mounties arrest knife-wielding man on popular trail near Victoria
Mounties near Victoria say they arrested an intoxicated man who was threatening people with a knife Tuesday on the Galloping Goose Trail.
-
Memorial design unveiled in Kamloops, B.C., for fallen Snowbird Capt. Jennifer Casey
The design for a new memorial in Kamloops, B.C., has been released, nearly four years after a deadly Canadian Forces Snowbird plane crash.
Kelowna
-
Stolen snake named Milkshake returned to Kelowna pet store
A banana ball python that was stolen from a Kelowna pet store on Saturday has been returned unharmed, Mounties said.
-
Nurses rally at B.C. Interior hospital over security, staffing concerns
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
-
B.C. to add 240 complex-care housing units throughout province
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
Edmonton
-
LIVE at 11:30LIVE at 11:30 Electricity rate spikes target of Alberta's efforts for affordable power
The Alberta government will detail on Thursday measures it’s taking to ensure electricity is more affordable.
-
Trend Line
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
-
WEATHER
WEATHER Josh Classen's forecast: Cool spell lasts until the weekend
Cool air has settled in over the province and it'll be here for a few more days.
Calgary
-
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
-
Police investigate southeast Calgary fight that sent 2 to hospital
Two people are in hospital and police are investigating a fight between a man and a woman in Forest Lawn early Thursday morning.
-
Calgary baker celebrates sweet $1M lottery win
A Calgary woman who won $1 million on a Lotto 6-49 Gold Ball draw says she hasn't been able to sleep in days.
Lethbridge
-
Deterrent sentence possible, expert says, after trio convicted in connection to Coutts border blockade
Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
-
Central Alberta man arrested in connection with grandparent scam
Lethbridge police have arrested a Vermilion, Alta., man in connection with a 'grandparent scam' that took aim at a local senior.
-
Woman, 61, killed in crash north of Coaldale, Alta.: RCMP
An Alberta woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on a highway north of Coaldale, Alta., on Wednesday morning.
Winnipeg
-
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
-
'Totally wrong': Winnipeg man says landlord denied life-changing medical equipment
A Winnipeg man is raising a red flag after his landlord said no to health-care equipment that could change his life – a problem he believes is a human rights issue.
-
From 'Apples to Apples' to 'Risk,' a Manitoban is selling off his massive board game collection
A Manitoba teacher is selling off his colossal board game collection that he’s amassed through more than a decade of scouring thrift stores, pawn shops and garage sales.
Regina
-
DEVELOPINGDEVELOPING Sask. Teachers' Federation president to speak on province's 'final offer'
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte is set to speak on a recent offer from the province – presenting a potential end to Saskatchewan's nearly year-long education labour dispute with educators.
-
Sask. First Nations' delegates meet with province to discuss commitments to inherent treaty rights
Attendees are concerned the provincial government is not properly consulting First Nations on a number of issues such as hunting and trapping laws, crown land sales, as well as forestry and environmental affairs.
-
No injuries reported in North Central Regina house fire
No one was hurt in a house fire in Regina's North Central area Wednesday night, Regina Fire said.
Saskatoon
-
DEVELOPING
DEVELOPING Sask. Teachers' Federation president to speak on province's 'final offer'
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte is set to speak on a recent offer from the province – presenting a potential end to Saskatchewan's nearly year-long education labour dispute with educators.
-
'It has saved lives': Saskatoon's only drop-in overnight shelter set to close
Concern is growing for Saskatoon's homeless population with a core neighbourhood shelter set to close in days.
-
Blades sweep Rebels to make consecutive eastern final appearances
The Saskatoon Blades are off to the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Eastern Conference final for the second year in a row after completing a four game sweep of the Red Deer Rebels Wednesday night in central Alberta.
Toronto
-
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
-
Gas prices in Ontario jumped 14 cents overnight. Here's when they will drop
Gas prices jumped an average of 14 cents per litre overnight in the GTA, climbing to levels not seen in nearly two years as the switch from winter fuel to a more expensive summer blend pushes up the price at the pumps.
-
Bets on World Boxing events temporarily banned in Ontario over 'suspicious' wager activity
Bets on World Boxing Association events are now prohibited in Ontario after an investigation turned up evidence of ‘suspicious’ wager activity on a match held late last year.
Montreal
-
Gas prices jump up past $1.90 across Quebec
Motorists are facing higher prices in many parts of Quebec as gas stations switch from winter to summer gasoline.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
-
Legault still doesn't know the price of a 4 1/2 in Montreal
François Legault still doesn't know the price of a 4 1/2 apartment in Montreal, three years after getting bogged down on the issue.
Ottawa
-
BREAKINGBREAKING 1 dead following wrong-way crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end
The driver killed in a head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when the vehicle collided with a second vehicle, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
-
Centretown student transport driver facing sexual assault charges, Ottawa police say
A student transportation driver in Ottawa is facing charges following an investigation into alleged sexual offences in the Centretown area, according to Ottawa police.
-
Prime Minister meets with Mayor Sutcliffe at Ottawa City Hall
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe at Ottawa City Hall on Thursday, for a meeting to discuss municipal-federal issues.
Atlantic
-
Seven people arrested at N.B. dispensaries
Seven people are facing charges under the federal Cannabis Act after peace officers with the Department of Justice and Public Safety seized contraband from dispensaries in Saint John, Riverview, and Moncton, N.B., earlier this month.
-
Nova Scotia premier says agreement reached with teachers union, strike averted
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says an agreement in principle has been reached on a new contract for public school teachers.
-
Teen charged in death of Tyson MacDonald has case adjourned
The case of the teen charged in the death of Tyson MacDonald in southeastern Prince Edward Island has once again been adjourned.
London
-
Major spike in the price of gas overnight
Drivers were faced with some big numbers at the pumps Thursday morning. The price of gas shot up over night by about 15 cents to around $1.79 per litre.
-
Fentanyl and 'cutting agent' seized in Sarnia drug bust
Just before 9 p.m., officers used a search warrant at a home in the 300 block of Wellington St. near Stuart Street where three people were arrested.
-
London police officer charged with impaired
According to the London Police Service (LPS), a 35-year-old Constable who lives in Woodstock was arrested and charged with impaired driving.
Kitchener
-
What are these things doing in Waterloo Park?
Don’t be alarmed if you see some strange new creatures in Waterloo Park.
-
Wide turns leaving Ayr residents short on patience with transport truck traffic
People living in the community of Ayr say they are dealing with a safety concern due to transport trucks travelling through their downtown.
-
Customers react to pizza as a new menu item at Tim Hortons
Pizza and coffee wasn’t what Jeet Shergill was expecting to order on his lunch break, but he saw the posters of the new menu item at Tim Hortons and decided to give it a shot.
Northern Ontario
-
Box of dead puppies found at northern Ont. landfill site
WARNING: Please be aware that some details of this story are upsetting. An animal cruelty investigation is underway in northern Ontario after a box of dead puppies was found at a landfill site, police say.
-
Body of missing man found, northern Ontario police say
The body of a missing man has been found after his vehicle was pulled into a northern creek on Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police say.
-
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
N.L.
-
500 Newfoundlanders wound up on the same cruise and it turned into a rocking kitchen party
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
-
Protest averted as Newfoundland and Labrador premier helps reach pricing deal on crab
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
-
A fish harvester's protest threatens Newfoundland and Labrador's crab season -- again
Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.
