Destruction of Waterhen Lake First Nation ‘an absolute heart-wrenching situation’: federal minister | CBC News

Federal help might be on the way for a First Nation in northwestern Saskatchewan that no longer has a school, after a devastating fire that destroyed the building earlier this week.

There were no injuries in the Tuesday afternoon fire at the Waweyekisik Education Centre in Waterhen Lake First Nation, but the building was a total loss.

Gary Anandasangaree, the federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, told CBC News Friday that he had a full tour of the school just two weeks ago when he was in the community.

“It is an absolute heart-wrenching situation. I mean, the school is the centrepiece for Waterhen Lake First Nation,” he said.

“When we walked through the school, it was very clear that they’re using every single square feet of the school towards their programming and the work that they do, including some health services that they’re providing on site.”

Anandasangaree said through Indigenous Services Canada, the federal government is “extending support to the community and to the school.” He said they are in consultations with the community to determine next steps.

“I hope that young people are able to complete the year somehow and hopefully we’ll have some concrete results for them in September,” he said.

The fire reportedly started in the roof of the school’s industrial arts shop and quickly spread through the building.

Waterhen Lake First Nation Chief Blaine Fiddler said earlier this week that the “devastating loss” of the school was preventable, and that the community had seen the danger coming for years.

“We communicated that there was a pressing need for necessary upgrades and replacements in building materials to best meet contemporary safety standards,” Fiddler said in a letter posted on Facebook on Wednesday.

“Waterhen leadership past and present lobbied through multiple governments to advocate our need for a new school to no avail. This is unacceptable.”

Anandasangaree said he was “not aware of the previous challenges with fire code issues,” but hopes the new facility supports the needs of the communities.

In a Friday afternoon news release, Fiddler asked community members to stay away from the school site, which he said is now a hazardous area, while the fire investigation is underway.

He said Waterhen’s chief and council and administrative staff have met with the Indigenous Services Canada’s regional capital team, and the First Nation “has secured guaranteed funding to start the cleaning and reclamation of the school area.”

“As the school was an older building there is a high likelihood that the site is contaminated and designated as a biohazardous area. If this is identified in the assessment, specialized health and safety procedures will be put into effect,” Fiddler’s statement said.

Fiddler said the First Nation will hold an emergency project management team meeting to discuss next steps in the cleanup, and that education staff have started preparing for a return to classroom plan this fall. 

It’s expected that temporary portable classrooms will be set up and ready to welcome students while the First Nation begins planning and construction for a new permanent school, he said.

“We have received assurances from the federal government that the new school is a main priority and will be expedited,” Fiddler’s statement said.