September sizzle closes some Quebec schools, while others sweat it out
Schools in Outaouais, Montérégie and Saguenay affected
William Fiori, a Grade 6 student at Edinburgh Elementary in Montreal West, stuck to the schoolyard's shady spots during recess on Tuesday.
"It's really hot," he said. "I am sweating a lot. I need to wipe it off. And it might get on my work sometimes. It's distracting and annoying."
His friend Ben McGrail said there are some fans and even a portable air conditioner in his classroom, but sometimes he has to fan himself with his schoolbook to keep cool.
"When it's really, really hot outside, I'm thinking about after school: What am I going to do? How am I gonna cool down?"
Fiori and McGrail are among those dealing with the hot weather that is blanketing most of Quebec this week. That heat has lead to a swath of school closures across the province.
Quebec's Education Minister says he's putting his trust in school staff to manage the situation in classrooms and ensure the well-being of children.
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Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a heat warning Monday for much of the province, with hot and humid weather forecast to last until Friday.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be particularly hot with temperatures possibly exceeding 30 C and humidex values ranging from 37 to 42.
Bernard Drainville says while the weather conditions are "exceptional," he has confidence in the province's school personnel.
"I have absolutely no doubt that the school team will handle [the situation] well," he told reporters Tuesday.
One school service centre in the Outaouais region decided to close Tuesday morning because of the high temperatures.
In a notice sent to parents and posted on Facebook Monday, the Centre de services scolaire au Cœur-des-Vallées (CSSCV) said it closed all of its primary and secondary schools (23 establishments) as well as daycare services due to the weather forecast.
Vocational and adult training centres remained open.
A Boucherville high school on Montreal's South Shore also closed its doors Tuesday. De Mortagne high school said a combination of the intense heat, a boil-water advisory still in effect and ongoing construction work led to the decision.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Centre de services scolaire des Rives-du-Saguenay, a school service centre in Saguenay, announced it was cancelling classes Wednesday in all elementary and secondary schools, as well as adult training centres, due to the "oppressive heat."
Daycare services will remain open.
No cooling systems in older schools
Drainville urged parents to provide their children with bottled water and said teachers might have to stop class to allow kids to rehydrate.
"If other adjustments are needed, I think that teachers and school staff will be able to adjust," Drainville said.
On the subject of air conditioning, Drainville said new schools will have mechanical ventilation systems, which he said will allow the buildings to maintain a stable and comfortable temperature.
But as it stands, there's no solution for older establishments, where no such systems are in place.
"That's why we have to keep investing," Drainville said.
ECCC warns that young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people working or exercising outdoors have higher health risks in this weather.
It recommends people drink plenty of water and stay in a cool place.
English Montreal School Board spokesperson Mike Cohen said most school buildings do not have air conditioning because they are old, and retrofitting them with central air isn't feasible. Some schools, like Edinburgh, may have air conditioning units, but that's usually due to fundraising or donations, and is not uniform across the school board.
"We are in a heat wave now, but before long we will be in a snowstorm and we won't be talking about this anymore," he said.
with files from Radio-Canada