CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Green Opposition member Trish Altass raised questions about a registry of Three Oaks Senior High School students who attended the school when renovations were completed.
Parents have raised concerns about health effects on students who were at the school while renovations were underway. The renovations, completed between 2016 and 2019, included remediation of asbestos used in the school’s initial construction.
In the spring, Health Minister James Aylward pledged to establish a registry of students who attended the school at the time. But Altass suggested parents were unclear how to find information about the registry. She asked Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Steven Myers where the registry was located.
Myers responded that the registry was housed in the Department of Education. He also responded that the Progressive Conservatives in Opposition had raised the issue in the legislature.
"The TOSH situation, we have dealt with. There was an accelerated construction. It was acknowledged, the fact that something did happen there. As I mentioned, I was the one that uncovered it," Myers said.
Already an existing database
Altass then asked Education Minister Brad Trivers for details on the registry.
“Let's just leave it open. What can you tell me about this registry?" Altass asked.
Trivers told Altass that the registry that had been promised in the spring was an already existing database established by the Public Schools Branch.
"We're very satisfied in government that these records maintained by the Public Schools Branch provide a repository for all students, school attendants and address the concerns expressed by the TOSH parents to create a registry," Trivers said.
Altass asked if the registry information could be linked to health records of students to track long-term effects.
“It would be fairly straight-forward to link them to the health records,” Trivers said.
Altass and Myers also had an exchange about Myers’ claim that his party deserved credit for raising issues about the TOSH renovation.
"The public is aware of this issue due to the work of the parents who have done an incredible amount of work to make this visible and known," Altass said.
Myers again said his party deserved credit for raising the issue in the legislature during the previous government.
“No one would have known if we didn’t stand up and talk about this in the legislature,” Myers said.
“None of that should be taken away from us.”
Myers acknowledged the parents also worked hard to bring attention to the issue.
