A powerful ice storm sweeping across Quebec has forced major school closures across several districts, including the Lester B. Pearson School Board, after freezing rain knocked out power to more than 175,000 addresses across the province Thursday morning. The storm has created dangerous travel conditions, icy infrastructure and widespread disruptions across the Montreal region.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board confirmed that all schools, centres and daycares under the board are closed due to the storm. The decision affects thousands of students and families across Montreal’s West Island and surrounding communities as authorities prioritize safety amid freezing rain and power outages.
Ice storm triggers widespread school shutdowns
The closure of Lester B. Pearson schools is part of a broader wave of shutdowns announced across Quebec as the storm intensified overnight. Ice accumulation on roads, power lines and trees has made transportation hazardous while electricity outages continue to impact communities.
Alongside Lester B. Pearson, the Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes also confirmed that all of its schools, centres and daycares are closed for the day. Peter Hall School also announced it would remain closed due to the severe weather conditions.
Several additional school boards and institutions across the province followed with closures, reflecting the widespread disruption caused by the freezing rain system moving across southern Quebec.
Schools closed across multiple boards
The New Frontiers School Board confirmed the closure of Mary Gardner School as part of the storm response.
The Riverside School Board announced closures affecting several institutions including:
- ACCESS Adult Education and Career Training Centre (Cleghorn, Brossard and Darwin campuses)
- Cedar Street School
- Harold Napper School
- William Latter School
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board also reported several closures linked to the ice storm:
- Heritage Elementary School
- Joliette Elementary School
- Joliette High School
- Rawdon Elementary School
French-language school service centres affected
Several French-language school service centres also confirmed closures as the storm continued impacting the Montreal region and nearby communities.
The Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys closed multiple schools including:
- Académie Saint-Clément
- École primaire Jacques-Bizard
- École primaire de la Mosaïque
- École primaire Sainte-Geneviève Ouest
The Centre de services scolaire Marie-Victorin announced closures affecting several institutions as well:
- Centre de formation professionnelle Pierre-Dupuy annex at 2525 Fernand-Lafontaine Blvd (main building remains open)
- École Lionel-Groulx
- École Mille-Fleurs
- École Pierre-d’Iberville and annex
- École Vent-Nouveau
Another group of closures was reported by the Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île, which shut down several centres and schools:
- Centre des ressources professionnelles
- Centre du Trait-d’Union
- École François-La Bernarde
- École Marc-Laflamme-Le Prélude
- École Saint-Marcel
- École Victor-Lavigne
Additional closures across Quebec
The Centre de services scolaire des Trois-Lacs also reported multiple closures as icy conditions continued across the region. Schools and centres affected include:
- Centre de formation générale aux adultes at 490 Harwood Blvd
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Sainte-Justine-de-Newton
- École Sainte-Marthe (École Cuillierrier remains open)
- École du Val-des-Prés
Authorities say the list of closures may continue to change as conditions evolve throughout the day.
175,000 homes without electricity
The closures come as the storm continues to cause major power outages across Quebec. Early Thursday morning reports indicated that more than 175,000 addresses were without electricity across the province as ice accumulation damaged power lines and trees.
Residents looking for updates on electricity restoration can track outages through the Hydro-Québec outage map, which shows the latest information about affected areas.
Ice storms are particularly disruptive because freezing rain forms a heavy layer of ice on surfaces. Even a few millimetres of accumulation can make roads extremely slippery and place heavy stress on trees and infrastructure.
Travel disruptions and weather warnings
The storm has also disrupted travel in and around Montreal, with weather warnings prompting cancelled flights, delayed transportation and safety alerts for commuters. Drivers are being urged to avoid unnecessary travel as ice-covered roads continue to pose risks.
Weather authorities warn that freezing rain events can lead to falling branches, unstable power lines and hazardous sidewalks, making school closures an important precaution for student safety.
Residents can monitor updated weather warnings and forecasts through the Environment Canada weather alerts page as the system moves across Quebec.
More updates expected
Officials say the list of closed schools will continue to be updated as the storm progresses and restoration crews work to repair damaged infrastructure. Parents and students connected to affected school boards, including Lester B. Pearson, are advised to monitor official announcements for reopening information and additional updates.
For now, the ice storm has turned into one of the most disruptive winter weather events of the season in Quebec, shutting schools, cutting electricity to thousands of homes and bringing daily routines across the Montreal region to a temporary halt.
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