Quebec is bracing for heavy snowfall as educational institutions across the province shut down for safety on Thursday. With Environment Canada predicting up to 40 centimeters of snow, many school service centers moved quickly to announce closures, ensuring families could plan accordingly.
Le Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale, Centre de services scolaire des Premières-Seigneuries, and Centre de services scolaire des Découvreurs all declared their schools closed early Thursday morning, impacting all public schools within the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions. The closures were prompted by forecasts of severe winter weather, which could make commuting to school risky.
The Centre de Services scolaire de Portneuf and numerous other centers including those located within Charlevoix and Côte-du-Sud also announced their schools would be shuttered before 6:00 AM. On the heels of these announcements, the Ministry of Transport of Quebec warned of difficult road conditions due to snow accumulation and blowing snow.
Higher education institutions followed suit; Laval University, known for rarely suspending operations due to inclement weather, confirmed complete closure shortly after 6:30 AM. Other colleges, such as Cégep Sainte-Foy, Garneau, Limoilou, and Lévis, also suspended all on-campus classes, opting to maintain online courses where possible. While services like cafeterias and libraries remained available at Cégep de Lévis and Cégep Limoilou, all other colleges locked their doors.
Some closures were preemptively communicated on Wednesday evening. The Centre de services scolaire des Navigateurs, responsible for the Lévis region, had announced on Wednesday its establishments would be closed, providing parents more time to arrange alternative plans for their children. Private institutions, including École secondaire Mont-Saint-Sacrement, also shifted to online learning due to weather warnings.
On Thursday, parents received notifications declaring, “Due to the winter storm warnings, the day of on-site teaching will transition to at-home learning with synchronous online instruction.” Other private schools, like the Ursulines of Quebec and Académie Saint-Louis, adopted similar precautionary measures.
While some daycare services remained operational, others shut their doors for the day. The Centre de services scolaire de Beauce-Etchemin and Portneuf had open daycare facilities. Meanwhile, the Centre de services scolaire des Appalaches and Charlevoix provided partial coverage of daycare services, with select centers remaining open.
Colleges across the province, including those located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Valleyfield, announced closures for Thursday. The Cégep de Shawinigan and CEC La Tuque likewise ceased operations, citing the adverse weather. Even the Collège Laflèche temporarily closed, but continued online courses for its medical archives program.
The storm's impact was felt province-wide, with schools closed from the Outaouais region to Montérégie and Mauricie to the Centre-du-Québec. Many colleges, including those around Saguenay and Lac-Saint-Jean, suspended classes altogether due to the weather.
The conditions were so severe even remote areas like Abitibi-Témiscamingue remained vigilant, with some school centers alerting parents about potential delays for transport services. Conversely, regions like Estrie were initially slow to announce closures, with the CSS de Région-de-Sherbrooke eventually deciding to stay open, albeit with few daycare services operating.
On the Magdalene Islands, schools began the day open, but impending incoming weather necessitated early closures. Following established protocols, most school service centers routinely notify parents of any closures by 6:30 AM on days with impending snowstorms.
Private schools like Collège Charles-Lemoyne on Montreal's South Shore also communicated closures Thursday morning. Various public school systems across the region have seen similar situations; with many families checking specific school statuses online to confirm closures and schedule adjustments.
Higher educational institutions weren't immune to the inclement weather either, as the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières ordered all its employees to work remotely, except for staff needed on-site. On the island of Montreal, classes were also canceled at prestigious institutions such as Université de Montréal, McGill University, and Concordia University.
Exemptions were made for the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), which opted to proceed with scheduled classes and activities. These decisions reflect the vast impact the storm has had across Quebec's education system, demonstrating both the urgency and seriousness with which institutions are approaching public safety amid winter weather hazards.