All Langley public schools were closed for the third day in a row on Friday, Jan. 19, the school district announced.
The closure includes the school board office, the Langley Education Centre, and all early learning and daycare programming on district properties, according to an announcement on the district website.
Facility rentals are cancelled for the day.
Many factors are considered when deciding a school closure, said the Langley School District in a statement to the Langley Advance Times.
“In general, considerations include weather, road conditions, the timing of a snow fall, or in this situation the timing of freezing rain, the ability for school busses to make trips to pick-up and drop-off students, accessibility to the school by vehicle and on foot, health and safety of students and staff, among other things,” the statement reads.
The district follows procedures set in the Emergency Closure of Schools guide as well, which also covers power outages, structural integrity of the school building, and severe emergencies like an earthquake.
“It is important to note that the Langley School District stretches a wide geographic area from the Fraser River to the U.S. border. On Friday morning, the District noted some areas in Langley are in good shape, however, there are many areas in South Langley and East Langley that have poor conditions,” concluded the statement.
Districts in the Fraser Valley are also announcing closures due to the forecasted weather and sidewalk and side road conditions.
A prolonged period of freezing rain is expected for the Fraser Valley this afternoon, Friday, Jan. 19.
According to a weather warning from Environment Canada, the rain is forecast for Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Langley and Hope.
Environment Canada says the freezing rain is expected to persist through Friday morning over Abbotsford, and Friday afternoon over Chilliwack, then transition to rain.
Many private schools were also closed, including The King’s School in Milner, Credo Christian in Murrayville, and St. Catherine’s Elementary in Brookswood.
At the post-secondary level, Trinity Western University’s Langley campus was open for essential services and some in-person classes. The TWU website advised students to check their Moodle site for info on how to access their classes.
Kwantlen Polytechnic opened all its campuses, including its Langley campus.
Environment Canada advises that surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery.
“Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions,” the warning reads.
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