'Students still have a sense of humour': Grad prank puts Calgary high school up for sale, for $20M
Students at Western Canada High School pulled off an attention-grabbing graduation prank that saw their school listed on Kijiji — for $20 million.
The prank caught the eye of students and teachers, as well as grasping the attention of Reddit and Twitter users. By Wednesday afternoon, the online ad had been viewed more than 16,000 times.
It was pulled off by two Western students, Edvin Sinko and Sameena Siddiqui, who created the ad on the website Kijiji and put signs up, with the school’s phone number.
Sinko says they came up with the plan on Monday during a spare class.
“We wanted to do something harmless, something that wouldn't cause damage to the school, and we came up with the idea to put the school up for sale. My friend got some For Sale signs and I worked on the Kijiji ad. The teachers absolutely loved it and some of them even put in offers for the school," said Sinko.
"A lot of credit also goes to the administration at Western for understanding that this was a harmless prank and for allowing us to keep the signs and ad up for the entire school day. The teachers said they will definitely remember this one.”
Calgary Board of Education (CBE) said in a statement the prank was done in good fun.
"Our graduating Grade 12 students have had to work through some unique circumstances as they finished high school during a global pandemic. We want students to celebrate the end of the year in fun and safe ways that show respect for each other and our schools," it read.
"After a challenging year, it is refreshing to see that students still have a sense of humour."
CBE officials also added, the school isn't actually for sale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.