THUNDER BAY -- The public school winter sports seasons has come to an abrupt end.
David Pineau, activities director for Lakehead Public Schools and Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, announced Friday the short-term suspension of the winter sports season. The announcement means the end to the girls volleyball and boys basketball season, which have already started as well as wrestling.
Pineau said the recent job sanctions announced by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation were the reason for the suspension.
Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association held an emergency meeting Friday to assess the situation.
Pineau said there were not enough teams to keep the season going.
“I think this is a big announcement and it’s going to affect kids, which is unfortunate,” Pineau said.
“We’re hoping there will be a resolution to this and resume our current seasons. It’s really out of SSSAA hands. We’re hoping that things will be worked out between the unions and the government and then we can get back to providing opportunities for students.”
Although the public school season was suspended, Pineau said the separate board as well as Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School and École secondaire de La Vérendrye would all continue their seasons. He added that for now the remaining school teams other than the public board will hold exhibition games until Christmas.
Looking further down the road, Pineau said they will be looking at whether or not the spring sports season will have to be suspended as well.
Ideally, they will be able to push the spring season back and fit in the winter season as long as they can.
But he said they will have to wait to find out exactly what they can do.
The teachers unions have until the end of the month to come to an agreement with the province otherwise Ontario's Minister of Education Laurel Broten will have the power to impose an agreement.
Pineau said if that happens and if teachers come back to coach then they will look at what they can provide for students.
“As long as it doesn’t impact the next season we will try to fit something in,” he said. “I know teachers didn’t make this decision lightly. They don’t want to make this decision. We feel real bad for students.”
He added that there’s a supervisory issue for parent volunteers so at the moment that opportunity is not available.
