Fair Notice – Threat Assessments – Firearms Violence Prevention

School District 60: Peace River North and our schools are committed to creating and maintaining school environments in which students, staff, parents/guardians/caregivers, and others feel safe. Schools cannot ignore any threat of violence.

What is a threat?

A threat is an expression of intent to do harm or act out violently against someone or something. Threats may be verbal, written, drawn, posted on the Internet, or made by gesture.

Duty to report

To keep school communities safe and caring, staff, parents/ guardians/caregivers, students, and community members must report all threat-related behaviours to the school principal.

What is the purpose of a student threat assessment? The purposes of a student threat assessment are:

• To ensure and promote the emotional and physical safety of students, staff, parents, the student making the threat, and others.
• To ensure a full understanding of the context of the threat.
• To understand the factors contributing to the person of concern’s (threat-maker’s) behaviour.
• To be proactive in developing an intervention plan that addresses the emotional and physical safety of the person of concern.
• To promote the emotional and physical safety of all.

What behaviours warrant a Student Violence Threat Risk Assessment to be initiated?

A student threat assessment will be initiated for behaviours including, but not limited to:

• Verbal/written threats to harm/kill others (“clear, direct, and plausible”)
• Threats made via social media to harm, kill, or cause serious property damage
• Serious violence or violence with intent to harm and kill
• Indicators of suicidal ideation as it relates to fluidity (homicidal/suicidal)
• Weapon possession (including replicas)
• Bomb threats (or possession/detonation of devices)
• Hate incidents motivated by factors including, but not limited to race, culture, religion, and/or sexual orientation
• Sexual intimidation, sextortion, extortion or assault
• Domestic, interpersonal, relational violence
• Gang-related intimidation and violence
• Fire setting (contextual)

Collection Notice

The school district is subject to personal information privacy laws and will undertake the collection of this information in compliance with the requirements of such laws, including by limiting collection to information that is relevant and necessary to address a risk or threat and by ensuring that information is collected from publicly available open source social media sites. The School District will not collect information as part of a threat assessment unless there is reason to believe that a risk exists. Information collected as part of a threat assessment may be provided to law enforcement authorities in appropriate circumstances.

What Do Parents and Students Need to Know?

• Any threat must be reported to the school principal.
• Investigation may involve the student services counsellor, the police, or other community agencies.
• Investigation may involve locker or property searches.
• Interviews will be held with the person of concern and other students or adults who may have information about the threat.
• Parents of students who are directly involved will be notified.
• Threatening behaviour may result in disciplinary action.
• An intervention plan may be developed for the student making the threat and a support plan developed for any individuals targeted by threats.

Starting October 1, 2026, new laws and regulations under the Firearm Violence Prevention
Act (FVPA) are coming into effect in B.C. The FVPA further strengthens existing school and
district policies banning firearms on school property by providing law enforcement with
additional tools to address and enforce firearms-related public safety risks.

The FVPA does this by establishing a clear and consistent province-wide prohibition on firearms, lowvelocity firearms (such as BB, pellet, gel, airsoft and paintball guns) and imitation firearms
(such as lighters designed to closely resemble firearms) on all K-12 school properties.
Some schools regularly support and authorize a wide range of educational, community and
special events on school property, including activities that occur outside regular school
hours, on evenings, and on weekends.

The legislation includes exemptions for certain safe and legitimate activities, including cadet programs. In addition, individuals who are safely transporting firearms, low-velocity firearms or imitation firearms in a vehicle are exempted as long as applicable requirements in the regulations and all other relevant firearms laws are followed (e.g., firearms remain unloaded and safely stored in a locked trunk or container).

For information on existing policies in the school or district that ban firearms, please refer
to Student Code of Conduct – Policy 2006 .

For more information on the Firearm Violence Prevention Act and regulations, visit:
Firearm Violence Prevention Act (FVPA) – Province of British Columbia

Starting October 1, 2026, new laws and regulations under the Firearm Violence Prevention
Act (FVPA) are coming into effect in B.C. The legislation is intended to address unsafe
firearm use and firearm-related violence.

The FVPA complements and further strengthens existing legislation and school and district
policies banning firearms on school property by providing law enforcement with additional
tools to address and enforce firearm-related public safety risks. The FVPA does this by
establishing a clear and consistent province-wide prohibition on firearms, low-velocity
firearms (such as BB, pellet, gel, airsoft and paintball guns) and imitation firearms (such as
lighters designed to closely resemble firearms) on all K-12 school properties. The goal of
these new laws is to promote greater public safety by keeping firearms and objects that
look like firearms out of schools.

Some schools regularly support and authorize a wide range of educational, community and
special events on school property, including activities that occur outside regular school
hours, on evenings, and on weekends. The legislation includes narrow exemptions for
certain safe and legitimate activities using firearms, low-velocity or imitation firearms.

Examples of activities that may be eligible for an exemption include:
• Cadet programs
• Biathlon demonstrations or events
• Cinematic, theatrical, film, or artistic activities or performances
• Educational activities (e.g., firearms safety training)

In addition, individuals who are safely transporting firearms, low-velocity firearms, or
imitation firearms in a vehicle are exempted as long as applicable requirements in the
regulations and all other relevant firearms laws are followed (e.g., firearms remain
unloaded and safely stored in a locked trunk or container).

Anyone who illegally possesses a firearm, low-velocity firearm, or imitation firearm on
school property without a valid exemption may have these items confiscated, forfeited and
disposed of by law enforcement, and if convicted of an offence, may face fines and serious
penalties under the FVPA.

For information on existing policies in the school or district that ban firearms, please refer
to Student Code of Conduct – Policy 2006 .

For more information on the Firearm Violence Prevention Act and regulations, visit:
Firearm Violence Prevention Act (FVPA) – Province of British Columbia