School District 43 is bracing for cold weather as temperatures continue to dip.
A new page on the district's website has been established to inform parents about what to do in the event of inclement weather. It contains tips and FAQs in the case of difficult weather conditions.
For example, it states that in the event of inclement weather, www.sd43.bc.ca will be the official source of information, with a banner that people can click to learn more.
Public schools in the Tri-Cities are not routinely closed due to snow or other inclement weather conditions but, on occasion, a full-district wide or partial district closure may be required depending on the snow patterns, which can vary because of SD43's topography, from mountainous to flat areas near sea level.
"The decision on schools remaining open or needing to be closed, because of extreme weather, occurs before 6:30 a.m. so that families can plan and make alternate arrangements," the website states.
SD43 spokesperson Peter Chevrier said the school district is working to prepare for inclement weather to "ensure all systems are operating effectively."
For example, on Monday, the district had a full HVAC (heating, ventilation air conditioning) team day shift and afternoon shift ready to handle any heating issues, and a large stock of salt — double what the district has had in the past — for use in icy conditions, and a crew ready to deploy it as necessary.
That crew was busy over the weekend, too, at Port Coquitlam's Irvine elementary school, which was without heat late last week.
