The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Schools closed because of storm

**Posted by Aytononline** January 29, 2025 10:21 am

Back in the day ( 40 to 50 years ago). Every child in mid-western ontario ( and my guess is every small community) would sit around the radio hoping to hear there school was closed or at least the busses were canceled. On CKNX they would give updates between songs with a full list at 7:45am. We were so happy when the radio gave us the good news. ( parents no so happy)

This got me wondering. What did the big radio stations in the city's do when schools or churches were closed because of weather. When CFRB was a music station how did they handle weather events.

**Posted by RadioActive** January 29, 2025 11:07 am

I don't think they announce specific schools any more, just the boards. And most of the list is put online, eliminating a lot of time consuming lists on the airwaves. Leaving more time, I suppose, for those 5-minute commercial breaks!

**Posted by RadioAaron** January 29, 2025 11:22 am

In Ottawa when CFRA was a music station they'd do the full list. It was generally by board, but there were a lot of those back then.

**Posted by Johnny B** January 29, 2025 12:00 pm

Some boards have set up an alert system with their transportation providers....the second the buses are cancelled...you get a notification - email or text....you can also go to a schools website or social media accounts first thing in the morning to see if the buses have been cancelled...there are options and there is no need to sit there and wait to see or hear your kid's school to be called out on TV or radio.

**Posted by mace** January 29, 2025 2:06 pm

Growing up in Oakville in the 60's, we would listen to CHWO [CFRB Lite with a smaller news department but the same horrible, to a teenager, music] for school closings. Back then there were only four high and five elementary schools. So the school names were mentioned. For the record, my schools were closed once in Grade One, Ten and Twelve. Where I lived there were no school bus service. No parents to drive us to school. We simply waliked to and from every day.

**Posted by turkeytop** January 29, 2025 2:10 pm

Just read this morning that, in Bruce county, there have been 18 snow days already this year.

**Posted by newsguy1** January 29, 2025 2:13 pm

When I worked in Victoria we did not read lists of school closures due to snow.
That's because even one centimetre of snow would cause schools to close, so we just put that into the newscast.
"There's one centimetre of snow today, so all schools, are closed.
May God have mercy on us all.
The city of Victoria did not own one snow plow.
OK so I'm exaggerating. It would take a minimum of five centimetres.

Last edited by newsguy1 (January 29, 2025 2:14 pm)

**Posted by Dale Patterson** January 29, 2025 2:29 pm

I don't think we had a single snow day in the years I went to school back in the days of the dinosaurs. There were lots of days when we could have used it, but it never happened.

**Posted by mace** January 29, 2025 7:39 pm

newsguy1 wrote:
When I worked in Victoria we did not read lists of school closures due to snow.
That's because even one centimetre of snow would cause schools to close, so we just put that into the newscast.
"There's one centimetre of snow today, so all schools, are closed.
May God have mercy on us all.
The city of Victoria did not own one snow plow.
OK so I'm exaggerating. It would take a minimum of five centimetres.

According to Wikipedia, the City of Victoria now has seven snow plows. The entire state of Florida has 11. Toronto has 1400 "pieces of snow removal equipment"

**Posted by RadioAaron** January 29, 2025 7:45 pm

From what I understand, many schools no longer have the traditional "snow day" which was essentially a day off. They're using their COVID setups and having classes online.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** January 30, 2025 9:13 am

RadioAaron wrote:
From what I understand, many schools no longer have the traditional "snow day" which was essentially a day off. They're using their COVID setups and having classes online.

Man, I would feel so ripped off! And I’m pretty sure my internet would be down…..