Peace River North MLA proposes new school safety bill in aftermath of Tumbler Ridge tragedy

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. —The Legislative Assembly of B.C. has given first reading approval to Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy’s new school safety bill.

According to a March 5th press release, Kealy introduced a new School Amendment Act to the legislature in response to the February 10th mass shooting at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. 

The bill passed its first reading in the legislative assembly on March 5th and will advance to second reading at a date yet to be determined, where it will come before elected officials for a second reading and vote.

Eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselar, who identified as a woman, shot and killed eight individuals at a home in Tumbler Ridge and the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School before killing herself.

“The purpose of this legislation is straightforward: to strengthen the safety of our children while they are at school,” Kealy stated. 

“No parent should ever have to worry that someone could simply walk into their child’s school without oversight while students are in classrooms trying to learn.”

Specifically, the legislation would require schools to “implement controlled entry systems so that visitors must be monitored before entering school buildings to access students or staff.”

“Controlled entry points create a moment of pause,” Kealy said. 

“They ensure that individuals cannot simply walk into a school unnoticed. In an emergency, even those few minutes can matter, giving staff time to call 911, initiate a lockdown and protect the children in their care.”

In February, School District 60 announced it would begin securing exterior access to district schools this year.

This is the second piece of legislation Kealy has introduced to the Legislative Assembly of B.C., after introducing a bill calling for the repeal of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) in November 2025. The bill was defeated at the first reading.