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Storms, teachers' contract dispute delay reopening of flood-damaged Sydney school

There's been a delay in the reopening of a Cape Breton school that was heavily damaged in the floods during a storm last October.

Brookland Elementary in Sydney was expected to welcome its 330 students back Wednesday after a Thanksgiving weekend storm caused more than $500,000 in flood damage.

Nearly a metre and a half of water flooded the building, seriously damaging drywall, the electrical system and destroying the elevator.

Students have been attending Harbourside Elementary and Shipyard Elementary since the storm.

Paul Oldford, director of operations with the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, said last week's snowstorms and the recent teachers' contract dispute forced the school to delay the reopening until after the March break.

Students to return March 21

"In order to move the students back, we required a day for teachers to pack up their classrooms," said Oldford. "Given the NSTU strike on Friday, that couldn't happen. We were also looking at the past week, all the heavy snow we had."

Oldford said teachers are expected to pack up their classrooms March 10, the Friday before March break. Operations staff will then move items to Brookland Elementary's upper floor.

Teachers will prepare classrooms for students to come back March 21.

Oldford said the lower floor will be redeveloped.

'Just thrilled' to come back

Joyce Lively, principal of Brookland Elementary, said she's "just thrilled" to come back.

"It was really touch and go for a bit wondering or not if the building would be safe to return to, but our environmental crews have worked diligently, the insurance companies have been on board and everything is ready to go," she said.

Lively said some students have been really stressed because of the flood and are very happy to hear they'll be back in their own school soon.

"I had a little one come up to me in the office today [at Harbourside Elementary] and give me a big hug and said, 'I miss you.' I don't get around to the classrooms as much as I'd like, being in two different buildings," she said.

"When I replied, 'I miss you too,' she said, 'I can't wait to get back to Brookland.' I said, 'You and me both and everyone else in between.'"