Students at the Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton Schools in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood were sent home on Tuesday after a pipe burst, causing flooding. English Montreal School Board (EMSB) Spokesperson Michael Cohen explained that the situation was discovered early in the morning and parents and staff were immediately notified. “It caused a leakage through one-third of the building,” he said. Philip E. Layton School serves students who are blind or visually impaired, while the Mackay Centre educates students who are deaf, physically disabled or have a communication disorder. The schools, on Terrebonne Street near Benny Avenue, are housed together in a building with modern accessibility equipment. Cohen said that the majority of the school bus drivers were able to reverse course before arriving at the building. “We want to applaud the bus company because they were able to turn around 32 of the 34 buses, and the other ones that arrived immediately went back,” said Cohen. The power was shut off at the school, and perishable items were transported to another school. Parents are expected to be advised whether the school will reopen on Wednesday once the cleaning crew has assessed the damage, Cohen said.
