By The Canadian Press

Tumbler Ridge, B.C., students shouldn’t expect a return to site of killings: district

Feb 14, 2026 | 9:48 AM

TUMBLER RIDGE — A teacher who helped to protect his students at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School when a killer began shooting says he never felt alone and knew all the staff were doing their best to shelter and protect the children.

Mark Deeley, the science teacher at the small community in British Columbia’s northeast, said in a statement Saturday that he knew the moment the shooting started “that other teachers and staff were going to do their best to protect our kids.”

Deeley’s story was first told by Premier David Eby during a vigil in the town on Friday night.

The premier relayed how Deeley’s son had gone to the washroom when he heard the shots starting, and then made the decision to block the door to keep the rest of the students safe.

Six people, most of them under 13, were killed at the school by the 18-year-old shooter, who had also killed her mother and brother in a home not far from the school. She killed herself as police arrived at the school.

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Deeley’s statement posted on social media said it is important for residents in Tumbler Ridge to know that the adults they trusted their children with tried very hard to shelter and protect them.

“Barricading doors, keeping kids calm, distracting them and making them feel loved.”

He said the staff took a stand, not only because they love their jobs, but “they sincerely love our kids.”

He said the staff show up every day to put the students’ needs ahead of their own, “and that was shown in the ultimate way the other day.”

Eby said when Deeley’s son made it back to the classroom they saw a student, critically injured in the hall, and brought them into the classroom to administer first aid.

“Teachers who did what they were told to do, what they trained and practised to do, saved lives. And in those actions, in those heroic actions, are the seeds of the recovery of this community, because the future of Tumbler Ridge is in that school,” Eby told the crowd.

The superintendent of the Peace River South school district issued a letter to families on Friday saying the expectation is that students will not be returning to the high school.

The letter from Christy Fennell says further plans will be shared in the next week that “prioritizes emotional and physical safety through a trauma informed lens.”

It says that they know some families want the stability of school routines, while others may not feel ready.

The district’s priority remains supporting the deeply impacted community, it says.

The letter tells parents to talk to their children about healthy coping strategies and “how they can support themselves and others with kindness.”

Eby also promised at the vigil that students would have a safe space to learn when classes resumed.

The yellow tape around the home where two people were killed has been removed after police said their investigation would be finished at the site 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and brother.

However, they said the forensic work would take much longer at the school.

Friday’s vigil, which also featured speeches from Prime Minister Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, saw more than a thousand people attend to pay their respects.

On the steps of the town hall people placed candles, photos, teddy bears and other items in honour of those who were killed.

Eby also promised that the new school will still feature a fish and a lizard that were in Deeley’s science class, which drew chuckles from the sombre crowd.

“(Deeley) says it’s got to be different, but it also needs to be familiar,” Eby said of the future school.

“Things are going to be different, but there are going to be things that are familiar, and one of those things is the courage and the bravery and the amazing kids, the students, the young adults, the people of Tumbler Ridge.”

Deeley said in his statement that he relates better with the kids and may be grumpy at times toward the adults he works with, but that never clouds his appreciation for the team members who he shares his life with.

“I know their willingness to sacrifice and I know the pain they are feeling at this moment and since this all began. I know because I feel the same paint standing alongside them in their hugs.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2026.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press