There are no classes tomorrow (June 6) for students at Coquitlam's CABE Secondary — Coquitlam Alternative Balanced Education.
Instead, the district says operations will resume on Tuesday (June 7), but in a different building as a special police team has been called to investigate a fire that broke out at the facility this weekend.
Arson may have allegedly been involved as Coquitlam RCMP's arson unit has taken lead on the CABE case, reported to first responders in the early hours of Saturday morning (June 4).
Before 12:45 a.m., flames and smoke at the School District 43 (SD43) institution — located on 1400-block Foster Avenue — were extinguished by firefighters from multiple fire halls and there were no injuries, according to Mounties.
Spokesperson Cpl. Paige Kuz says the cause is still under investigation.
She adds "assistance from the public is critical in these types of investigations, no one tip or detail is too small, any information you may have regarding this investigation is valuable to us."
In an update, SD43 officials say the school is not safe to use following the blaze.
As a result, classes are cancelled on Monday but will resume in rooms at Winslow Centre (1100 Winslow Ave.) that have been made available for staff.
"Staff will be using Monday to prepare for students to return to school on Tuesday at Winslow," SD43's latest update reads, as of 11 a.m. today (June 5).
"Please also rest assured that this will not affect student’s ability to complete course work and graduate as planned."
Police are seeking potential witnesses to the CABE fire as well as video footage, including dash cam, business and residential surveillance.
Anyone with more information is encouraged to call Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 and quote file-number 2022-13914.
CABE is a school for students aged 16 to 18 that, according to its website, offers individualized, self-paced learning and a small-classroom environment.
