Pesticide fears lead to four-day closure

Concern that children might have been exposed to pesticide prompted education officials to close Charles H. Hulse Public School on Thursday and keep it shuttered through the weekend.

Last weekend, a contractor sprayed inside the school to end a cockroach infestation, said Norah Marsh, associate director of education for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.

Spraying during March break had failed to solve the problem.

During the week that followed, there was an increase in parents calling to say their children were showing signs of illness, including flu-like symptoms, headaches, upset stomach and itching eyes and ears. About 30 children were absent Thursday.

The school on Alta Vista Drive is attended by about 450 students from kindergarten to Grade 6.

A link between the spraying and the illnesses hasn’t been confirmed, but the board decided to act after noting that other schools in the area weren’t showing a similar spike in absences, Marsh said.

The school will be closed until at least Monday to ventilate the building. The provincial environment and labour ministries are investigating, along with Health Canada and Ottawa Public Health.

Marsh said the school board had used the same pest-control contractor several times before with no problems.

She noted that there had been no reports of illness when students and staff returned after the March spraying.

This time, however, an odour was noticeable in three classrooms and spread through the school after getting in the ventilation system.

Community events and an international language program scheduled at the school on Saturday have also been cancelled.