School bus services in Ottawa are operational on Monday following a night of heavy snowfall. Ottawa Student Transportation (OSTA) and the Consortium de transport scolaire d’Ottawa (CTSO) are the only agencies running buses, while others across eastern Ontario have halted their services.
The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board along with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board have announced school closures for Monday. The Limestone District School Board has shut down all schools except for four: the North Addington Education Centre, the Granite Ridge Education Centre, Land O’Lakes Public School, and Clarendon Central Public School.
Some schools remain open, and students are advised to contact their respective schools or boards for information on the procedures in place during bus cancellations, particularly with regard to high school exams. For instance, the Renfrew County and Upper Canada public boards have rescheduled all exams initially planned for Monday to Tuesday.
Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College have canceled in-person activities for Monday morning due to inclement weather, indicating that instructors will inform students whether activities will be conducted remotely or canceled altogether.
In western Quebec, buses are operating as usual. The Kingston area has experienced frequent school bus cancellations in recent days, with six out of the last eight school days affected. CFB Trenton’s weather station has recorded approximately 95 cm of snow since January 15, with 43 cm from the latest storm as of 10 a.m.
According to Environment Canada, Belleville received a total of 35 cm of snow, Ottawa 13 cm, and Kingston 10 cm by 10 a.m. Monday. All local weather alerts had ceased by 10:30 a.m.
In terms of travel disruptions, Via Rail had to cancel 12 routes between Quebec City and Windsor on Monday morning due to the weather conditions. The Ottawa International Airport reported delays during the morning hours because of the snow.
Kingston, Belleville, and Quinte West have declared a significant weather event due to challenges in maintaining snow-clearing operations. Kingston has extended its Artillery Park Aquatics Centre warming center until Thursday morning to accommodate residents.
Ottawa has implemented a parking ban for most vehicles on most streets from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday. Gatineau has an overnight parking ban in effect from midnight to 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Residents are advised to check with their local municipalities for any weather-related updates or changes in services.