Public Notice Regarding Rifle Range Testing at Morden Collegiate Institute (MCI)
Western School Division is committed to providing safe and healthy learning and
working environments for all students and staff.
As part of ongoing facility assessments at Morden Collegiate Institute (MCI), the
Division conducted environmental testing in the school's Rifle Range area. Testing
results identified elevated levels of lead within the Rifle Range space. Upon receiving
these results, the Division immediately restricted access to the area to all students,
staff, and visitors.
Further, the Rifle Range, which is used for firearm safety instruction, has not been
utilized by the Junior Rifle Club during the current school year while assessments and
investigations were underway.
To address the identified concerns, the Division has developed a remediation plan that
will be carried out during the summer months. The remediation work will include the
removal of lead contamination within the Rifle Range area by qualified environmental
remediation professionals. Upon completion of the remediation work, the area will
undergo comprehensive retesting to ensure that lead levels meet all applicable health
and safety standards before any future use is considered.
In addition to the foregoing, testing identified low levels of lead in certain peripheral
classroom areas adjacent to the Rifle Range. These low levels are not an immediate
concern and classroom occupancy has continued in those areas. However, with
student and staff safety in mind, as a precautionary measure, these areas will undergo
thorough deep cleaning and additional environmental testing prior to the start of the
2026–2027 school year.
The health and safety of our students and staff remain our highest priority. Western
School Division will continue to work closely with environmental consultants and other
appropriate experts throughout this process. We are committed to keeping all
stakeholders informed as the remediation work progresses and as follow-up testing
results become available.
We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our school community as this work
is completed.
Western School Division