Parents feel blamed by school board for Colville Lake frostbite incident
CBC
Warning: This story contains a graphic images of frostbite.
Parents in Colville Lake, N.W.T., say they feel they're being blamed by the school board after four children developed frostbite during a school trip.
The trip happened about three months ago. Parents have been waiting for details about an investigation ever since, and say they finally heard an update Monday afternoon, three days after CBC News published an article on it.
Details on the investigation that have now been provided to the parents focused mainly on policy changes, including one that ensures all students going out on the land for a school trip have access to proper winter gear. If they don't, Jordan's Principle would provide gear.
Jennifer Lafferty's daughter, Pearl, was 10 at the time and needed to be flown to Norman Wells after the trip to have severe frostbite treated on her legs. Jennifer said her daughter was wearing proper gear — including a parka, snow pants and boots.
"[It's] making it sound like these kids weren't dressed properly," she said of the new policy.
Stephanie Orlias's daughter, Alicia, also had her ear frostbitten, but Stephanie said her daughter was wearing a big hat.
Renee Closs, the Sahtú Divisional Education Council superintendent outlined the policy changes during a call with parents on Monday.
Lafferty said the timing of the details coming so soon after the publicity was also frustrating.
During the call, parents asked Closs why they're getting these details so soon after CBC News published an article on the incident. Closs told them the investigation involved multiple levels of government, which delayed the process.
Parents say they never got an apology for the incident.
Aside from making sure children are dressed properly, the new policy would prevent on-the-land trips from happening when it's below –25 C. It was below –30 C when the kids went out on Nov. 29.
Closs told parents school trips would now require them to sign a consent form to allow children to drive snowmobiles.
Jennifer and Stephanie said they weren't happy their children were made to drive themselves on the trip, and doing so is what resulted in frostbite. They said the children should have been riding in a sled, behind the snowmobile, which offers more protection from the wind.
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