By Victor Kaisar

Westmount Fire Update

Westmount Elementary students to remain in temporary locations until at least early 2026

Nov 10, 2025 | 11:31 AM

KAMLOOPS — Students and staff at Westmount Elementary School will remain in their temporary locations until at least the new year, as last month’s suspicious fire disturbed materials that contained asbestos.

The Kamloops-Thompson School District (SD73) said recent testing has revealed that the fire in the roof of the building caused asbestos-containing materials to be disturbed, which has pushed the timeline for cleanup and remediation past winter break.

While the school district had not previously said when Westmount Elementary could open, only that there will be no access “for several weeks,” it notes the additional time is needed to abate the asbestos-containing materials that were disturbed.

The district notes the extra time is also needed as additional “complex air testing” needs to be completed throughout the school building. Materials not directly impacted by the location of the fire also need to be tested, SD73 said.

“With the increased scope of the abatement and remediation task, the district must follow their tender/procurement process,” said Westmount Principal Roy Styles, in a letter to parents.

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Styles said while district staff looked into the possibility of sealing off the impacted area at Westmount Elementary so students and staff could return, they decided against it as it would not meet required safety standards.

“Ensuring Westmount school is safe for students and staff to return to is the priority in this process,” Styles said. “We remain committed to supporting students throughout this process.”

The roughly 250 students at Westmount Elementary were divided among three schools based on their age cohorts. Five classes were sent to Kay Bingham Elementary while three classes each went to Parkcrest Elementary and George Hilliard Elementary.

“Students will remain at their new temporary schools in the same classrooms until we return to Westmount. The school bus transportation plan will continue as long as students are attending classes at Kay Bingham, Parkcrest and George Hilliard,” Styles wrote.

Kamloops RCMP have said that they believe the fire was intentionally set and that a person was seen on the roof of the school around 1:00 a.m. on Oct. 26. They’be been asking witnesses to call the detachment at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2025-35751.

“These kids will never forget this. The community coming together is something we will remember forever,” Styles said in a story about the efforts to get students back into class that was shared on the SD73 website.

“Thank-you to the three schools who welcomed us in, staff and families across the district who have reached out offering support and donating supplies, and to the Westmount community for supporting each other and our students during this transition.”

Image Credit: SD73