Lester. B Pearson School Board to install carbon monoxide detectors after incident at LaSalle school

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) will install new carbon monoxide detectors in all 44 of its buildings using combustible fuel after a carbon monoxide leak at a Montreal school earlier this week.

Jim Hendry, spokepserson for the LBPSB, told Global News on Thursday the installations are expected to be completed by Jan. 25.

READ MORE: Parents angry about lack of answers after carbon monoxide leak at Montreal school hospitalizes dozens of children

“The school board is also piloting a higher level of protection whereby the carbon monoxide detection system will be connected to a supervised monitoring station,” he said in an email.  “The advantage of the connected system is that it provides notification when the buildings are not in use.”

The pilot of system monitoring will begin in March.

“Absolutely, it give me great peace of mind. In a addition to smoke detectors and fire drills, this is an additional layer,” said parent Maria Doray.

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The move comes after a gas leak at Des Découvreurs elementary school in Montreal’s LaSalle borough on Monday sent at least 35 children and eight adults to hospital.

READ MORE: Montreal public health physician calls for mandatory carbon monoxide detectors in schools

Nine of the children had suffered severe symptoms, including loss of consciousness, while at the school. They were sent to Sacré-Coeur Hospital to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy for severe carbon monoxide poisoning.

Several others were also taken to the Montreal Children’s Hospital and Sainte-Justine Hospital.

After the incident, the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board (CSMB), which oversees Des Découvreurs elementary, said it will be checking all of its carbon monoxide detectors.

Petition started by LBPSB parents

The LBPSB officials told Global News earlier this week it had no detectors in its schools and no plans to do any upgrades or sweeps.

As a result, parents of students started a petition demanding the school board install detectors in their children’s’ schools.

WATCH BELOW: Montreal mother says school never called to say her child was in hospital after carbon monoxide leak

0:52 Montreal mother says school never called to say her child was in hospital after carbon monoxide leak

On Thursday, Hendry updated Global News with that its vocational schools do have detectors and with the news they are installing the devices in all of the buildings with combustible fuel.

The school board said it will not install the devices in 10 schools that are electrically heated.