A Yellowknife Catholic Schools letter on Tuesday assured parents that a potential threat against school this week is being taken seriously.
“As many community members are aware, over the past ten days, two separate cases of graffiti appeared within our city, both of which involved anonymous threats against “St. Pat’s,” with the specific dates of June 21 and 22 having also been mentioned,” wrote Simone Gessler, the school board’s superintendent, in the letter.
She noted that it is unclear if the threats were made against the school, École St. Patrick High School, or the local Catholic church, St. Patrick’s Parish.
The specific messaging and location of the graffiti threats have not been disclosed.
In an email to Cabin Radio at 4:30pm, Gessler said there was no additional information to share since the letter was sent earlier on Tuesday afternoon.
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“We take all such incidents seriously and are working with the RCMP in assessing and addressing this situation,” she continued in the letter, adding the safety of everyone is the top priority.
As June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day and a territorial holiday, the school will be closed but police will be monitoring the grounds.
On Thursday, June 22, there will also be an increased police presence around the school.
The parish typically holds mass at 5:30pm on weekdays from Tuesday to Friday. The church has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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Cabin Radio has also reached out to the Yellowknife RCMP for comment and is waiting to hear back.
“This situation is fluid and we will keep you informed and up to date on any further developments,” Gessler concluded.
She said parents with concerns can contact her if they have any questions or concerns.
This is not the first time the Catholic school has been threatened. In February 2022, both St Pat’s and Weledeh Catholic School were evacuated and classes were cancelled for the day following a bomb threat.
