As all four Ontario teachers’ unions go on strike, parents will have some options at their disposal as their kids get the day off school.
Friday is the first time in 20 years all unions have walked off the job at the same time.
The strike includes the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO).
Friday isn’t the only day London will see strike action, though.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has announced that if an agreement is not reached, members will participate in rotating full withdrawals of service the week of Feb. 24. This will impact all students in the London District Catholic School Board on Friday, Feb. 21.
The city and several local groups and organizations have lined up day camps and programs to help out parents on Friday.
The City of London
The city has confirmed it will offer day camp on Friday for children impacted by the strike.
The camps will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on both days at Kinsmen Recreation Centre for children aged five through 12 at a cost of $31.
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Extended care, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., will also be available for an additional cost, said city spokesperson Monika Guzy.
London Children’s Connection
The London Children’s Connection (LCC) says its before-and-after school programs will be cancelled for the strikes — on Friday.
The organization says it’s not offering any full-day programs for the strikes at its school age program locations, saying they do not have the staffing required to offer it at every location and still meet their safety standards.
“Many staff in our before and after school programs have other commitments during the day,” LCC said on its website.
LCC says all of its Children’s Centres will remain open in the event of a strike, as will Fanshawe, White Oaks, and Westmount Family centres.
Boys and Girls Club of London
The Boys and Girls Club of London is offering day camps for Friday.
The camps will operate at the Boys and Girls Club of London on Horton Street and at Kidscape on Blue Heron Drive at a cost of $50 per day for club members and $53 per day for non-members.
There are a total of 68 spaces between the two. Parents and guardians can register at the club during operating hours, on the club’s website.
The club says full refunds will be issued should schools stay open.
East Park
East Park says it will be hosting one-day camps on Friday.
The camps, which will include activities like rock climbing, bumper cars, and the jungle gym, will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at a cost of $47 per child. East Park says they’ll also try to get in some outdoor fun, where possible.
Kids must be registered online before the camp starts.
London Children’s Museum
Officials with the London Children’s Museum say they’ll be offering a full-day day camp on Friday.
The camps, which run from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., are open to children aged four through 12 and cost $42 for museum members and $46 for non-members.
Registration is required ahead of time and space is limited, the museum says, adding full refunds will be given should schools stay open.
London Public Library
The London Public Library says the Central Library branch will be showing a number of movies throughout the day on Friday.
Annie 10:30 a.m.-12:18 p.m., Bao 12:20-12:28 p.m., Princess and the Frog 12:30-2:08 p.m., Sanja’s Super Team 2:10-2:27 p.m., Meet the Robinsons 2:30-3:57 p.m.
YMCA
The YMCA of Southwestern Ontario says it’s offering day programs at four local YMCA branches on Friday.
The programs, which will run from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Bostwick Community Centre as well as the Stoney Creek YMCA in London, are for kids aged four to 12. Day programs will also be offered at the YMCA’s in St. Thomas and in Woodstock, the agency says.
Registration for the programs is closed.
To help make it easier for parents to choose, the YMCA has given names to each of the programs:
- Bostwick Community Centre program is called “day camp”
- Stoney Creek YMCA is hosting “school closure”
- The program in St. Thomas is called “No School Camp”
- Woodstock program is called “PA Day”
Other
The provincial government said on its website that when a strike occurs, licensed child care programs (including before- and after-school programs) will be allowed to extend their hours, request to increase the number of children attending, and request temporary relocation if they are in a location disrupted by the strike.
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With files from Sawyer Bogdan Global News
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