All schools closed, classes cancelled east of Oshawa [Video]

All schools in Clarington are closed Monday, despite the municipality largely escaping the brunt of the ice storm that struck Ontario Saturday, leaving an estimated 80,000 people without power.

Schools in Clarington are administered in Peterborough, which suffered extensive damage and was at the heart of the storm, forcing both the Kawartha Pine Ridge school board and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board to shutter all schools and cancel bus service for safety reasons.

The public board said all schools, childcare centres, buildings, and worksites, including education centres, are closed March 31 to students and staff.

The Catholic board said the ongoing and wide-spread power outages across the district caused by the ice storm left them no choice but to close all schools and facilities, including the Catholic Education Centre Monday to students and non-essential staff.

“While some areas of the district are less impacted, …