Midland High School closed after weekend fire incident, activities suspended; when will classes resume? Key details inside

Midland High School Closed: Classes at St. Theresa’s Catholic High School in Midland have been cancelled for the week after a fire broke out inside the building over the weekend. Midland’s Deputy Fire Chief Don Hebner said crews were called to the school around 6:30 AM on Saturday (May 16, 2026). The blaze was contained to a single room at the north end of the school building, with the sprinkler system preventing it from spreading further.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, and no injuries were reported, accordoing to Deputy Chief Hebner. While the incident is not considered suspicious, the investigation remains ongoing. The Midland Fire Department is reminding residents to unplug lithium battery chargers once batteries are fully charged to help reduce fire risks.

Classes cancelled

The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) shared a letter and voicemail that was sent to students by Mike Quinn, Principal, and Scot Gorecki, Superintendent, advising that the school will be closed this week from Tuesday until Friday.

The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) has notified families of a temporary school closure through a letter and voicemail sent to students. In the message sent by Principal Mike Quinn and Superintendent Scot Gorecki informed recipients that the school will be closed for the remainder of the week, from Tuesday through Friday (May 22, 2026).

“Fire damage was limited to this area, however, the smoke and water damage has impacted the entire north wing of the building,” said Quinn and Gorecki in the letter, as quoted by CTV News. “The board has contracted restoration and remediation specialists who have been onsite since Saturday to begin the significant cleaning, restoration and remediation work that is required prior to the building being safe for occupancy.”

The school adds that busses will also be cancelled and there will be no access for students or staff to pick up their personal belongings, negating their ability to move classes online.

The school also stated that bus services will be suspended, and neither students nor staff will be permitted to enter the building to retrieve personal belongings. Officials noted that this restriction prevents any transition to online learning during the closure period.

“The building is off limits and for the safety and security of everyone we cannot make exceptions,” continued Quinn and Gorecki. “We are not able to transition to on-line learning during this period because learning materials and many staff/student devices are in the school and can’t be retrieved.”

All athletic programs, field trips, and special events scheduled for the week have also been called off. “We know that this is significant news and it will be upsetting for many of our staff, students and families,” concluded Quinn and Gorecki.

“As a school community, we will come together to overcome this unfortunate situation. Let’s pray that we can return to our building soon, and in the meantime, thank you for cooperation, patience, and support.”