The school this B.C. village fought to save is about to be condemned just weeks before classes start

An elementary school in a tiny B.C. village is about to be condemned, just weeks before classes start.

Officials say the Wells-Barkerville Community School contains lead and asbestos and needs costly repairs locals can't afford.

"It's definitely on the verge of being condemned," said Donna Forseille, chief administrative officer for the District of Wells, which owns the 1940s-era building.

"If anyone were to get sick or injured due to the state of repair ... if, God forbid, a hole was discovered in the wall and the asbestos was airborne ...health and safety have to come first," said Forseille.

Parents in Wells knew the old building might eventually be replaced, but they're just hearing the news their children's school will close before classes start.

'Worry about what the future holds'

"It's extremely sad for the parents and children," said Dawn Leroy, a local parent and president of the school's Parent Advisory Council. "There's definitely a lot of worry about what the future holds for our kids. And it's devastating for the community of Wells."

"My kids are asking: 'Are we still going to have the gym? Are we still going to have the library?'" said Leroy.

Wells has 250 year-round residents, but the population swells to 400 in summer. The community is close to an active gold mine and just kilometres away from Barkerville, an historic town, which attracts tourists from around the world. Wells also hosts a popular summer music festival.   

The school building has long served as a community hub.

The three-storey building's 14 classrooms house not just the school, but also a  daycare, fitness centre, art studios and Island Mountain Arts music and art classes that attract international visitors.

People in Wells have fought fiercely to keep it open. 

Seventeen years ago, amid declining student enrolment in Wells, the Quesnel School District decided to close the school and bus students an hour each way on a mountain road to schools in Quesnel.

Wells had to buy school to keep it open 

People in Wells refused.  

Wells' students launched a school strike. A local artist and the then 71-year-old mayor held a hunger strike.  The mayor also posed for a nude fundraising calendar to help finance the community campaign.

In the end, Wells saved its school. But only when the municipal government bought the school from the Quesnel School District.

And now Wells is on the hook for either fixing the aging building — or replacing it.

"It's sad to lose a school that everybody fought so long and hard for," said Forseille,  "Unfortunately, we've just received word from the Ministry of Education that they're unable to help us financially.  [Because Wells] physically purchased the school building, it's no longer within the school district.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said the Wells-Barkerville Community School "is owned, operated, and maintained by the municipality... The Ministry can only allocate capital funding to school districts ... not municipalities."

 So, Wells' local government is paying to bring in a fully equipped portable, where about 20 elementary students will start school in September. Officials hope it's a temporary measure. 

But in a small community full of picturesque old buildings in need of repair, finding a new school site may be difficult.