Kitchener high school closed Thursday due to power outage

Grand River Collegiate Institute on Dec. 20, 2023. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

The Waterloo Region District School Board said a power outage forced the closure of Grand River Collegiate Institute (GRCI) on Thursday morning.

No details were shared about the cause or source of the problem at the Kitchener high school.

“Facility services and contractors are working as quickly as possible to address the situation,” the alert from the school board said. “While they complete this work, the school will be closed to students and staff.”

A charity hockey game, organized by the school’s athletic leadership class, also had to be cancelled.

Students, staff and parents were expected to gather at the Grand River Arena for the Hockey Sock Toss, inspired by the Teddy Bear Toss tradition.

The GRCI Renegades Boys Hockey Team were scheduled to play the Waterloo Oxford Gators and, when the Renegades scored their first goal of the game, hundreds of pairs of socks were set to rain down on the ice.

Those socks would then be donated to the Ray of Hope to be distributed to those experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.