THUNDER BAY – An engineering deficiency during recent renovations at Kingsway Park Public School is causing concern for Lakehead Public School officials.
Parents were informed in a letter from principal Darren Lentz that the design did not take into consideration the possibility snow could drift around air handling units on the roof. Lentz said while there is no immediate cause for concern, precautionary steps have been taken.
“The board has contacted an engineering firm to develop a snow removal and monitoring plan to be in effect for this winter that will be based on the amount of snow that the structure can support,” Lentz writes.
When asked why the air handling units weren't constructed to handle snow: "When we hire an engineer or consultant to design a building for us we expect it to be designed to code," said Lakehead Public Schools business superintendent David Wright.
The roof was constructed in 2017. Wright said the problem is not aventilation issue, but has to do with the weight of the snow on the unit's vents.
"We rely on experts, and sometimes experts make mistakes. In this case the snow drift load was missed at points on the roof."
In the meantime, snow levels on the roof will be monitored daily.
"Fellas with shovels up on the roof removing snow, Wright said. "We've got a contractor who's at the ready, so when they're at the ready we'll call them to help us out."
There is no indication what the potential costs could be to the board, or who will cover them.
