These eastern Ontario schools are set to close due to strikes this week
Province-wide walkouts and continued rolling strikes mean more days off for students
The basics:
- No school Tuesday for all Ontario English Catholic students.
- No school Thursday for all English Ontario public elementary school students, as well as some secondary students.
- Select public elementary and secondary schools will close for a second day due to rolling strikes.
- French public and French Catholic school boards in eastern Ontario are not affected by strikes this week.
Parents should start making alternative child care plans as education unions plan more strikes this week.
Most schools in eastern Ontario will close for at least one day during the first week of February.
Members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) will take part in a one-day, province-wide strike on Tuesday, Feb. 4, meaning all eastern Ontario English Catholic schools will close that day.
Meanwhile, public school elementary teachers and educational support workers represented by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will hold a province-wide strike of their own on Thursday, Feb. 6.
ETFO members will also continue their third week of rolling strikes targeting select school boards, meaning that some schools will close twice this week.
Members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) will also hold a one-day strike on Tuesday, although none of the targeted boards are in eastern Ontario.
French-language public and Catholic schools in the Ottawa area and much of eastern Ontario are set to remain open.
While teachers and education workers represented by Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) stepped up their work-to-rule campaign last week, they have not announced any plans for strikes.
See below for the full list of school boards affected:
Ottawa Carleton District School Board
All OCDSB elementary schools will be closed to students from kindergarten to Grade 8 on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6, but all secondary schools will be open on both days.
Classes will also be cancelled for students in Grades 7 and 8 who attend Bell, Earl of March, Longfields-Davidson Heights, Merivale and Sir Robert Borden high schools.
All school buses for elementary students will also be cancelled.
The Extended Day Program would remain open for students who are already registered.
Programs at schools that are offered by third-party providers may continue as planned. Parents should check with their provider for more details.
Ottawa Catholic School Board
All elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools will close on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
The one-day closure also includes all co-op, OYAP, dual credit, home instruction, extra-curricular activities, field trips, and clubs.
Before and after school programs will also be cancelled for the day.
However, all toddler and preschool programs run through the Ottawa Catholic Child Care Corporation and all Early On Centres will be open during their regular hours.
For a full list of child care programs and their status during the strike, check the board's website.
Community use of schools will also continue as scheduled.
Renfrew County District School Board
All elementary and secondary schools will close on Monday, Feb. 3 and Thursday, Feb. 6.
Community use of schools will continue as scheduled.
Renfrew County Catholic District School Board
All schools will close on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Upper Canada District School Board
Classes will be cancelled for all students in kindergarten to Grade 8 on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6.
Parents whose children attend a child-care facility at a UCDSB school should contact their care provider directly for information.
Hastings and Prince Edward County District School Board
Classes will be cancelled for all students from junior kindergarten to Grade 8 on both Tuesday, Feb. 4 and Thursday, Feb. 6.
Students in Grades 9 to 12 won't be affected.
Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
All elementary and secondary schools will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
All schools will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Limestone District School Board
All elementary and intermediate schools will be closed to students on Thursday, Feb. 6 and Friday, Feb. 7. Students from kindergarten to Grade 8 should not go to school these days.
All secondary schools will remain open.
Child care centres and Early On programs within Limestone schools will remain open.
Community use of schools will continue as scheduled.