Schools closed as Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County digs out after winter storm

Schools and facilities are closed as people in Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County dig out from a winter storm.

A snowfall warning from Environment Canada was ended Thursday morning after a low pressure system moved through much of southern Ontario Wednesday evening and overnight. An additional 5 cm of snow on Thursday is possible and the forecast says freezing drizzle and blowing snow are possible throughout the day.

Waterloo region schools made the call to close Wednesday night. 

Guelph and Wellington schools announced school closures Thursday morning.

In separate releases, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) said the closures affect all classes, as well as school buses, taxis and special education routes.

"Extended day programs, child-care centres located in our schools, and our Education Centre will be closed," said the release from WRDSB.

The notice from Upper Grand District School Board said: "Students are to shift to remote learning, where possible. Staff should not report to work in person, and should shift to remote working where possible."

Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, Conestoga College and the University of Guelph are all closed Thursday and all classes have been cancelled for the full day.

Libraries, child care, community services closed

All Kitchener Public Library branches are closed until 1 p.m. Thursday. Any programs or scheduled before that have been cancelled.

The Cambridge Food Bank and its Mobile Food Market will be closed Thursday.

The City of Waterloo has also cancelled all recreational programs for Thursday morning until 12 p.m. The buildings will remain open as warming centres however. 

The City of Guelph sent a notice Wednesday to say recreational facilities would be closed Thursday until noon.

Community Support Connections, a volunteer organization for seniors and adults with disabilities in Breslau, will be closed Thursday.

Other closures were also expected throughout the day, including offices and daycares:

• All YMCA of Three Rivers Child Care locations in Waterloo region and Wellington County will be closed Thursday.
• All RisingOaks Early Learning child care centres are closed Thursday.
• Chaplin Family YMCA and Guelph YMCA will open at 12 p.m. Thursday.
• Lane swim at A.R. Kaufman Family YMCA is delayed and will open at 8:00 a.m.

Transit and commute impacted

Grand River Transit reported some cancelled routes due to the weather and police were reminding people to be cautious on the roads.

GO trains on the Kitchener line will also be limited on Thursday, Metrolinx said in a release Wednesday evening.

"With significant snow expected overnight [Wednesday], we will run on a special schedule [Thursday] to ensure we can maintain reliable service while keeping our trains clear of snow and ice buildup. This means that some GO Train trips will be cancelled or modified," the release said.

Express trains on the Kitchener Line won't be operating and many trips on the line will be modified throughout the day.

"Most off-peak service operating west of Mount Pleasant will be suspended, as will most trips starting and ending at Bramalea GO. There will be fewer trips serving Kitchener GO throughout the day," the release continued.

Commuters are encouraged to visit GOtransit.com for more information.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt posted to X, formerly Twitter, saying traffic volume was starting to build Thursday morning.

"Please, if you don't need to be out there, let the system pass and let the plows do their work," he said in the video. "We don't have a lot of crashes going on but we do have a lot of cars slipping and sliding, getting stuck on on-ramps, off-ramps and just in snowbanks."

Snow events have been declared across the region, meaning people are asked not to park on city, township or regional roads so snow plows can clear the snow properly.

The Region of Waterloo declared a significant weather event starting at 3 p.m. ET and asked people to be cautious when travelling.

"Road users should expect delays, slippery conditions and poor visibility. If driving, slow down and follow at a safe distance. Road users should also keep a safe distance from snow clearing equipment and crews to let them complete their work safely and efficiently," the region said in a release.

Parking bans were put in place on Wednesday and are expected to remain in place for 24 hours. They started at different times depending on where you live:

• In Waterloo, the parking ban started at 11:59 p.m.
• In Kitchener, the parking ban started at 9 p.m.
• In Cambridge, the parking ban started at 7 p.m.
• In Woolwich, the parking ban started at 11:59 p.m.
• In North Dumfries, the parking ban started at 3 p.m.
• In Wilmot, the parking ban started at 11:59 p.m.

Any vehicles parked on the street could be ticketed or towed.

More snow on the way?

Geoff Coulson, the warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada says a low pressure system coming out of Texas is causing this snow. 

And once people dig out of this, more snow may be coming in a few days.

"Yet another system, this one coming out of Colorado, looks like it will again track near the lower Great Lakes. And so the potential for a long-lived snow event starting in the early morning hours of Saturday and continuing through the day on Sunday is quite possible," Coulson said.