The Portage la Prairie School Division has announced that they will be shutting down all schools within the division for Wednesday and Thursday this week due to the blizzard that's supposed to rock southern Manitoba. 

Superintendent Todd Cuddington spoke with PortageOnline about this safety decision. 

"We've been receiving these updates regarding the weather forecast for about a week now, and according to the Environment Canada latest, we're anticipating a fairly significant weather event here over the next couple of days, including the possibility of losing hydro. So, as a precaution, because of the number of people that commute, and our large bus network routes, and just for the concern about safety for students and staff, we're going to see this for the first time since 1997. We will be looking at a full closure due to the blizzard." 

Cuddington notes that the school division has already lost ten days to weather and COVID-19 events this school year.  

"We've had significant instructional time loss this year as a result of not only the weather but COVID. So, it's just been sadly a perfect storm of both of those things affecting instruction." 

Cuddington adds that this is very rare that the school division would do this, and it is out of an abundance of caution.