October 9, 2026
Power Outage Update! October 9th
Dear École Herbert Spencer Community,
Today at 12:10 p.m., our school experienced a power outage that affected multiple schools and neighbourhoods throughout New Westminster. Power was restored at approximately 1:40 p.m.
Families should be very proud of their children. Students remained calm throughout the outage and followed staff directions exceptionally well. Since the outage occurred approximately 10 minutes before students were dismissed for lunch recess, we were able to send students outside as usual and welcome them back into the building at 1:00 p.m. Students handled the loss of power during lunch very well, and lunchtime supervisors coordinated their dismissal smoothly and safely.
Our school is equipped with emergency lighting that illuminates hallways and washrooms for approximately 60 minutes using battery backup power. In addition, battery-powered LED lights are available for washrooms should the emergency lighting cease to function. During power outages, students remain supervised by staff, and a Shelter-in-Place protocol is implemented to ensure students can safely access washrooms as needed.
If a power outage were to continue for an extended period, classes that wished to do so would be encouraged to take supervised physical activity breaks outdoors. During daylight hours, classroom visibility remains very good due to the large windows in our learning spaces.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you
P. Manville