Possible asbestos risk delays return to class for almost 1,400 students at Laval high school

The return to the classroom has been delayed indefinitely for more than 1,000 students at a Laval high school due to the risk of asbestos exposure.

Tuesday was supposed to be the first day of school at Horizon Jeunesse High School, but instead some parents were faced with closed doors.

The Laval school service centre (Centre de services scolaire de Laval) is waiting for the results of an air quality analysis. Air filtration systems are stationed around the building, and workers are targeting harmful particles.

Families were informed Monday evening via email about the last-minute change in plans, catching many of them off guard. One parent took to Facebook to ask whether the school will release the results of the analysis or share more information on what it's doing to ensure students are safe.

The email to parents, obtained by CTV News, says "unforeseen events" happened at the school Monday, delaying essential work on the ventilation system.

A sign on Horizon Jeunesse High School informing the public that the building is closed. (Maria Sarrouh/CTV News)

According to the school service centre, work was being done on the ventilation system "in asbestos conditions" on Monday. The system was shut off during the work, but it was accidentally turned on for approximately one minute.

"Even though the activation was short, we didn't want to take any risks. We asked for air tests to make sure the site was safe," wrote spokesperson Annie Goyette in an email to CTV News.

Until Monday, "work was well under way and the start of the new school year was scheduled as usual," Goyette added.

Nearly 1,400 students are affected by the school closure and have been told to stay home on Wednesday and Thursday.

Further updates are expected in the coming days.