Sticky start to school year as students swelter during September scorcher

Record-setting temperatures in September have made for a sticky start to the school year, as some students and educators face sweltering heat because not every classroom has air conditioning.

For many students across the city, it is the second day of school and another scorcher outside. A heat warning for the region prompted schools in Gatineau to close Tuesday.

In Ottawa, that was not the case. Schools were open both Tuesday and Wednesday. While every school across the major boards has air conditioning in some capacity, classrooms are not necessarily covered.

"Weather in the 30s is not unknown to Ottawa in June and we have to adapt the best we can," says Ottawa Catholic School Board director of education, Tom D'Amico. "We will have schools where classrooms are not air conditioned but the main areas are; it could be a gym, a learning commons, and the principals will use their judgement and move classes into that space if needed."

D'Amico says within the board, there are more than 380 portables, which will all be equipped with air conditioning, and fans are provided for classrooms without AC.

Some schools have also made the choice to limit or cancel outdoor recess because of the heatwave.

"The supervisors will make sure that there is moderate activity. We don't want people extending themselves in this weather. The majority want kids to be outside, the kids want to be out there, and they're taking the required precautions," says D'Amico. "Not denying it's uncomfortable for our staff and our students, but we know there are great benefits of being at school, so there is excitement at the start of the year and we want them at school and we will address the heat the best we can."

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board says all of its school have at least one area with air conditioning, like the gym, library or main office, which can assist in offering cool-off spaces in buildings that are not fully air-conditioned. Facilities staff will monitor weather forecasts for high temperatures and modify ventilation systems to maximize the benefit of cooler temperatures during the night.

The OCDSB adds that the heat can create challenging learning and working conditions for students and staff. On hot days, students and employees are encouraged to:

• Drink plenty of fluids, preferably water, and avoid caffeine and caffeinated beverages;
• Avoid strenuous physical activity, especially outdoors;
• Wear lightweight and loose clothing;
• Avoid direct exposure to the sun and seek shade and shelter at the first signs of heat exposure; and
• Where direct sun exposure cannot be avoided, wear a hat and apply sunscreen.

"What we are hearing from educators is that this is awful, this heat, with inability to function with it and it just lends to this terrible experience for the first couple of days back to school," says Laura Walton, Ontario School Board Council of Ontario president. "We need to acknowledge collectively that climate change is real. We are going to be seeing more and more increased warm days for our kids and so we need to be retrofitting our schools appropriately. This really requires the Minister of Education pay attention to the new reality … we have a $16-billion backlog in capital repairs in our schools, and air conditioning and ventilation make up a part of that."

The heatwave is expected to break beginning Thursday, when cooler temperatures and rain move toward the national capital region.