Some N.B. schools close due to extreme temperatures
School districts throughout New Brunswick sent students home early on Monday, amid soaring temperatures and heat warnings for the central and southern regions of the province.
“In schools which would be baking hot at the best of times,” says New Brunswick education minister Dominic Cardy, “especially with COVID measures that place restrictions in the use of some of the ventilations systems, that ban the use of fans for example – clearly that would put students in a really difficult position.”
The Anglophone West District announced early Monday morning that 64 of the 69 schools would be dismissing three hours earlier than the usual dismissal time due to extreme temperatures.
The five remaining schools – Nasis Middle, Royal Road Elementary, Harvey High, McAdam High and Minto Elementary Middle schools – were not impacted because they have cooling systems, according to a social media post from the school district.
Cardy says a policy has now been put in place, allowing school districts to send students home for a “heat day.”
“The districts now have a tool, similar to the one they have to declare a snow day in the winter time, to declare a heat day based on a 40-degree-plus humidex reading,” explained Cardy.
All schools in the Anglophone East school district were dismissed early on Monday as well, and elementary school students were picked up for the day around 12:15 p.m.
“I was actually kind of nervous sending them in,” says Nicole Best, a mother in the Moncton area. “Because I kind of figured that they were either going to A – cancel it, or B – I’d have to come and pick them up in the heat.”
In the Anglophone South district, St. Stephen Middle, St. Stephen High, St. Stephen Elementary, Milltown Elementary and Lawrence Station closed for students at noon, while Sussex Middle, Sussex Elementary, Sussex Corner Elementary, Apohaqui Elementary and Norton Elementary dismissed students at 1 p.m. – and Sussex Regional at 2:30 p.m.
While students were dismissed, teachers remained in schools for the remainder for the day.
“The goal is to get as many people out of the buildings as possible,” says Cardy. “Make those buildings a bit cooler and allow the teachers not to have to move around but to do some prep work and so on.”
Although a heat warning is in effect for most of Nova Scotia, schools in that province did not see any early dismissals – a decision that is causing concern for the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, who says this is a potentially high-risk situation for students and staff.
“If it’s not safe for children to be masking in extreme heat, we can’t be sending them into school buildings where we know it’s going to be 40 [degrees],” says Paul Wozney.
“There’s no ventilation … we’ve got a collision of what’s medically unsafe and what’s unsafe from a Public Health perspective.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.