Prince Edward Island schools to remain closed until at least Monday
Public schools on Prince Edward Island will remain closed until at least Monday, the province’s minister of education said during a news conference Tuesday.
Minister Natalie Jameson says with many roadways and sidewalks still cluttered with debris from post-tropical storm Fiona, it is not safe to open schools.
“Military and crews are working to clear schools of debris,” said Jameson during the news conference. “The province asks that people stay off school grounds while these efforts are underway. This includes playgrounds and sports fields.”
Jameson says school authorities are working with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to assess the situation at all island schools.
The province says it has identified six schools that need significant repairs, including Ecole Evangeline, Queen Charlotte Intermediate, Cardigan Consolidated, East Wiltshire Intermediate, West Royalty Elementary and Westwood Primary School. She says it is unlikely these schools will open Monday.
“It is too early to know what the days ahead will look like for schools where the impact was greatest,” said Jameson. “We may see some students redistributed to neighbouring schools. We might have some students pivot to remote learning or alternate learning locations.”
In terms of childcare centres, the minister says 20 facilities are back up and running on the Island, where more than 62,000 utility customers remain without power.
The minister says 174 childcare spaces are available for the children of essential workers. She says anyone looking to get their child enrolled in one of the spots should email the province at Childcarepostfiona@gov.pe.ca.
She encourages the owners of any childcare centres affected by Fiona to reach out to the Early Years Division of her department for support.
The province says a further announcement will be made later this week on what schools will be able to open on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.