When parents were told their children would participate in a mock disaster they would never have expected that it could turn into the real thing.
However, the device ended up creating an unforeseen amount of smoke in a poorly-ventilated location. According to school board Director of Education Mickey Contini, “the kids were doing their parts beautifully. It took a few minutes for everyone to realize they weren’t acting.” At an evening meeting at the school a few days after the problematic simulation, parent Patti Jennings asked, “Why wouldn’t the people have been informed that a hazardous material was going into the school?”“The parents did not come in here with a great deal of anger," she said. "They want to know what happened and what effects this is going to have on their kids. And we hope there can be a way to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
A report concerning the ingredients of the smoke canister from the Northern Regional Forensic Laboratory found that there was an “insignificant concentration of carbon monoxide” released and that there would be no long-term effects from zinc oxide or carbon particles. It was noted that the gas canister’s Material Safety Data Sheet was mislabeled by the company and that the ingredients were not as hazardous as initially feared.
In February of 1996, the Sault Star reported that Chief Barry King was cleared of all wrongdoing in the matter by the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.