People are reacting to the tragic death of a Saskatoon kindergarten student from École Dundonald School who lost his life on Monday.
The five-year-old boy went missing at recess and a call to 911 was made. He was found at a pond approximately 30 metres from the public elementary school.
READ MORE: Saskatoon kindergarten student found at pond dies
A review is currently underway to determine the cause of death.
“We’re still at a point where it’s being absolutely established what happened yesterday and of course then what we can do to fix it,” Saskatchewan Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre said.
The pond is at the heart of the issue for most residents and École Dundonald School is not alone. École Lakeview School and St. Bernard share a similar pond close to their playgrounds.
“Basically its purpose is to hold storm water to prevent flooding in the area but it does act as a natural feature and amenity for the neighbourhood,” Angela Gardiner, the City of Saskatoon’s transportation and utilities general manager, said.
Ward 4 city Coun. Troy Davies took time listening to messages from residents, expressing sympathy and frustrations as to why the pond is so close to École Dundonald School without any fencing.
“I think at the end of the day once the dust settles and the recommendations come forward, we have to act on those,” Davies said.
“But in the meantime we have to be careful not to immediately just kneejerk reaction and point fingers cause that’s not going to help anybody in the end.”
With many questions to be answered, parents are trying to be proactive, as a petition has been started to fence off the pond.
“It’s dangerous. It is. It’s not something you want to think of but it’s something that you have to think of,” École Dundonald School parent Brandy Jacques said.
Eyre believes supervision was not an issue after speaking with school division, however the school has since made minor adjustments to supervision to ensure the safety of the children.
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