The situation is under control at John Paul II Collegiate in North Battleford following a bomb threat Thursday afternoon.
According to Battlefords RCMP, they received information regarding an "unconfirmed bomb threat" to John Paul II Collegiate at 1:20 pm. RCMP members made immediate patrols and John Paul II Collegiate enacted their safety protocols to have the school evacuated for the rest of the day.
Students were removed to a safe location, and parents notified of the situation, according to RCMP.
Around 4:30 p.m., Battlefords RCMP issued an update in which they said they have completed a thorough search of John Paul II High School and that no suspicious materials have been located.
The RCMP added in their news release that "every threat complaint received is taken seriously and are fully investigated. RCMP members worked closely with our partners at Light of Christ Catholic Schools to ensure the ongoing safety and well being of students and staff at the school. The investigation into this incident is ongoing and as such no further information will be released at this time."
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact Battlefords RCMP at 306-446-1720 or call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Earlier, Light of Christ School Division issued an update on the situation and said the situation was under control. According to Cory Rideout, director of education with the school division, the school was evacuated and a sweep of the building was conducted, and everyone was safe.
Rideout also said the threat was not towards a particular student but was a general threat to the building; RCMP and emergency services were then contacted right away.
The evacuation itself went very quickly and was described as "exactly like a fire drill", according to Rideout.
Rideout added he was "very proud of our staff and our students for responding to what was a stressful situation." He was also happy that the Light of Christ division's safety protocols worked in this particular situation.
