Thunder Bay

St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay cleared to reopen Wednesday after second threat closure this week

This is the second day in a row, and the fourth time in the past several weeks that St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ont., has taken precautionary measures due to a threat. Here's what we know about the situation so far.

Tuesday closure marks fourth time in past month the school has received a threat

A police cruiser is parked in front of an empty school.
A police cruiser is parked outside St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ont., after the school was evacuated due to a threat earlier in December. (Marc Doucette/CBC)

St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ont. has been cleared to reopen Wednesday after once again closing for the day in response to a threat. 

On Tuesday morning the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board issued a statement saying the school had received yet another threat. 

As a precaution, the board said students dropped off that morning were directly sent to an evacuation site and that buses would be picking up students and bringing them home Tuesday morning. Parents and guardians were also able to pick up their children and were asked to contact their child if the student has a mobile device. 

Later in the morning, the board said Thunder Bay police had done a thorough walkthrough of the school, and that it has been deemed safe to reopen for classes on Wednesday. 

Tuesday's closure marks the second day in a row the school has been forced to close.

Students were also dismissed early on Monday as a precaution due to a threat received that day. A police investigation was conducted that afternoon and the school had been cleared to reopen. On Tuesday that plan changed after the board received the second threat of the week. 

"We are disheartened with these continual threats,  but the safety of our students and staff is our top priority," the board said in a release. 

In addition to this being the second day in a row the school has had to close this week, it's also the fourth time the school has had to take such precautions in the past month, due to threats, and is the latest in a string of threats have also impacted other Catholic schools in Thunder Bay and across northern Ontario over the past month.