Dance school destruction leaves owners devastated
Vandals destroyed the floors and some walls at the Cape Breton School of the Arts in Westmount but the owners vow they aren’t giving up.
“It’s just so depressing but we’re not giving up,” said Susan Gallop, co-owner of the studio and head teacher.
“One of my parents is looking for a hall and if I have to work extra days, I’ll work extra days so the kids don’t get disappointed… We want to assure parents we aren’t giving up.”
Gallop owns the studio with her husband, Brian. She found the damage on Aug. 31 when coming to work with a mother and two students.
Opening the door, they were greeted with water flooding the floors upstairs from clogged sinks with taps running. Downstairs the vandals cut the line to the oil tank, which was three-quarters full, and also clogged the sinks and left water running.
Oil is under the foundation so there is a possibility it caused environmental damage to the soil around them and possibly other properties.
“We know the oil is under the foundation. Under the concrete is gravel… once it gets out into the clay and beyond that, that will determine where it moves and how fast it moves,” explained Brian.
Soil samples were taken and results are expected this week.
“It’s so mean because those kids are waiting to get back to
class. I was excited to get back too,” said Susan, who’s run the dance studio for 48 years.
“It’s just sickening. It’s disgusting. It’s stomach turning. It’s unbelievable the mess that we are in again after just putting everything back
together,” added Brian.
Cape Breton School of the Arts was severely damaged by the Thanksgiving Day flood in 2016. Repairs were done by March and mostly everything inside was new including all the raised floors, the carpets,
and the walls downstairs.
Susan said the week before the vandalism, there were a series of false alarms at the school. But the night of the incident the alarm didn’t go off. She thinks the vandals might have been tripping the alarm to find out how to disarm it.
“(Looking at it) it’s hard to tell right now that this is a dance studio,” Brian said somberly.
Susan added: “It looks more like a war zone.”
The smell of oil is so strong it leaves a taste in your mouth. After 15 minutes, it can be felt in your lungs and the taste and smell lingers for 30-60 minutes after leaving the building.
Nothing was stolen, including expensive sound equipment. Both Susan and Brian suspect youth might be behind the crime, but they are not certain.
“I hope if someone in the neighbourhood knows something, anything, that they step up and do the right thing. Phone the police. Let them know. This is ridiculous,” said Brian.
Susan agreed: “There’s so much of this stuff going on around the neighbourhood. It’s not fair. It’s just not right.”