GoFundMe for Duncan Cran playground cancelled by school district

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A GoFundMe created to raise funds for the replacement of the recently vandalized Duncan Cran Elementary School playground has been cancelled by School District 60. 

According to School District 60 secretary-treasurer Angela Telford, the GoFundMe was not created by the school district. 

“It was initiated by a well-meaning person in the community,” said Telford. 

“When there’s a fire, there’s an insurance claim that goes through, so that’s how we’ll be replacing the bit of the playground that needs to be replaced.”

Telford says an equipment provider is currently in the process of assessing the damage on the playground, and a replacement could take months. 

“Another playground we ordered – we were looking at four or five months for it to arrive. There aren’t many suppliers in the province, and there’s a lot of demand,” said Telford.

One of the GoFundMe’s creators posted to Facebook addressing the closure of the fundraiser, stating all donations are being refunded to their donors. 

Last Sunday evening, the Fort St. John Fire Department responded to reports that the Duncan Cran Elementary School playground was on fire around 10:40 p.m. 

Local firefighters ruled the fire as suspicious and passed the investigation on to the Fort St. John RCMP.

Police are currently looking for video surveillance of the incident. 

Those with any information about the fire can contact the Fort St. John RCMP detachment at 250-787-8100.