Western Quebec School Board closes schools during heatwave with just days left in school year

Lord Aylmer Elementary School in Gatineau

A dozen schools in western Quebec are closed Thursday as a result of excessive temperatures and a lack of air conditioning.

The Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) told families that schools were closing at noon Wednesday because of the heat. A note from the school board to parents and guardians that classes were expected to resume as usual Thursday, but assistant director general Pascal Proulx told CTV News Ottawa that 12 schools in Maniwaki, the Pontiac, and Gatineau remained closed.

Western Quebec has been under a heat warning this week, with high temperatures in the low 30s C and humidex values in the 40s. On Wednesday, the temperature reached 34 C in Gatineau in the afternoon with a humidex of 43.

The closures come just days before the end of the school year. Classes in the WQSB wrap up on Friday.

The WQSB has 13 elementary schools, six high schools, six  kindergarten to Grade 11 schools, and six adult education and vocational training centres.