It was the beginning of a new school year for many students across Canada, and while White said her kids experienced much of the same first-day jitters and excitement as always, the fire that tore through their community added a certain sombreness to the day.
Typically, students would have returned to their classrooms on Aug. 28, but the city is still under an evacuation order as fires continue to burn, so school will have to wait. Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville, speaking to reporters at a high school inauguration in Gatineau, said Tuesday that the high temperatures -- expected to reach 33 Celsius Tuesday with a humidex of 41 -- were exceptional.
"In newly built schools, we will install mechanical ventilation systems, which isn't air conditioning but are ventilation systems that will provide for a certain level of comfort," Drainville said. Aside from the heat, parents and teachers say they're expecting a new crop of issues to affect classroom learning this year, including generative AI technology, affordability and climate change. For some students, however, the first day of school experience remains largely unchanged year after year.