Nova Scotia schools reopen to students after extended closure amid Omicron wave
On a cold, slippery Monday morning, Nova Scotia students returned to in-person learning.
"I am excited," said elementary student Audray Houston.
"It feels a little bit weird, but we're excited," added Audray’s mother Megan Houston.
An extended Christmas break has meant students have not been in school for almost a full month.
"We are really looking forward to it and think it's time," said parent Kathy-Ann Rainforth. "Kids need to be in school. Social outcomes and mental health outcomes; they are happiest in school."
Paul Wozney, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, says he has lingering concerns about the current back-to-school plan laid out by the province.
"We are desperately in arrears in terms of progress about boosting and vaccinating staff and children," said Wozney, who added he is braced for a possible shortage of teachers and staff that could cause schools to close again.
"There is just so much more pressure that is on the systems because of Omicron. We are going to have hundreds of staff on a daily basis that are required to self-isolate."
Nova Scotia Education Minister Becky Druhan said HEPA air filters are now in 71 schools and the province has provided students and teachers with three-layer masks.
"We were happy to welcome students back into class," said Druhan.
"Can I predict what COVID-19 is going to throw our way? No, I cannot for sure. But I do have the confidence that we have the agility and flexibility to handle a lot, as we've seen folks do to date and we will continue to do moving forward."
As for what lies ahead, parent Alex Liot is worried about the long-term effects of multiple years of learning impacted by school closures.
"At home learning was good but really needs to be much better," said Liot, who added he does not see the current remote learning format as being a viable alternative.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.