A community member on an early-morning walk discovered a deceased person in a public washroom in New Westminster.
New Westminster Schools sent out an email to parents and guardians of children attending Fraser River Middle School on Friday morning, Jan. 26.
“As of 8:20 a.m., the washroom’s surrounding area is condoned doff with yellow police tape,” the notice said.
“If your child(ren) walk the trail next to the washroom facility/FRMS field on the way to school, please direct them to take an alternate path, as police and ambulance staff may be present.”
Children who were concerned or unsettled by the incident were invited to contact the school’s administration if they wanted to speak with a school counsellor or youth-care worker.
Mike Lee, spokesperson for New West Schools, said he was not aware if students had reached out for support. If they did, he said the district would not be able to share that information.
“The body was found in the Simcoe Park public washroom next to the board office by a member of the public who was on an early-morning walk,” he said in an statement to the Record.
“The NWPD attended to the matter and confirmed there was no danger posed to staff, students, or the public. Furthermore, it all happened before school hours, so no students (or staff) were directly impacted by the discovery.”
Sgt. Andrew Leaver of the New Westminster Police Department said a pedestrian called police after finding someone deceased in a portable washroom.
“Foul play is not suspected,” he said. “The BC Coroners Service is now investigating the incident.”
Ashleigh Young, the city’s manager of communications, said the washroom at Simcoe Park is attached to the exterior of the school district’s administration building, but it is owned and maintained by the City of New Westminster.
“While this incident is tragic, we want to reassure everyone that our public parks and facilities remain safe for the community,” she said in an email to the Record.
