'Pepper-like spray' discharged inside Fort Richmond Collegiate

Students at a Winnipeg high school were sent home earlier than usual Tuesday after a "pepper-like spray" was discharged inside one of the washrooms during the lunch hour.

Winnipeg police have been contacted about the incident at Fort Richmond Collegiate, which involved "some type of pepper-like spray," a Pembina Trails School Division spokesperson told CBC News in an email.

No students were directly sprayed with the substance. Staff members quickly closed off the affected area and opened windows to allow fresh air into the building, the spokesperson said.

Students were dismissed early as a precaution, the spokesperson said, adding that a crew is working into the evening to clean and ventilate the building.

A similar situation almost one year ago prompted the evacuation of Fort Richmond Collegiate for several hours.

On March 15, 2016, a student fired bear spray inside the school's office. About a dozen students and staff members were affected, but no serious injuries were reported in that case.

No further details were released about the latest incident.