Any district wide closure will be decided by 6:30 a.m. at the latest and will be announced via:

CBC AM 690 radio                                     

 Global TV

CHQM FM 103.5 radio                                            

CBC TV

CKNW AM 980 radio                                               

City TV

CJVB Fairchild AM 1470 radio                            

BC-CTV

CKWX News AM 1130 radio                 

Fairchild TV

CFOX 99.3 radio

Individual school closures due to unique circumstances (e.g. power outages) will be announced as through a school connects message to your e-mail. No announcement will be made saying that schools are open. ONLY closures will be announced.

For a complete review of Braemar's 'snow plan', including a suggested common driving pattern for our three neighbourhood schools, please see information below.

École Braemar Elementary is a triple-track school. This means that we attract significant auto traffic to the school. In the event of a major snow event, the movement of that traffic can become severely hampered. It is likely that:

1. There will only be a single lane plowed along major feeder routes to the school such as Mahon and Evergreen;
2. Cul-de sacs will likely not be plowed;
3. Parking will be almost non-existent along feeder routes; and
4. There will be a high degree of anxiety and frustration on the part of drivers when regular driver patterns and access routes are compromised by significant accumulations of snow.

Our local municipalities have established snow removal and clearing priorities. The clearing of access roads to schools is a second level priority, following arterial roads and bus routes. For more information about municipal snow clearing, please use the following links:

City of North Vancouver – Winter Weather Preparation – How We Plow

http://www.cnv.org/~/media/471AC16CB6784B7BA0D4CE1BA5D781FA.pdf

District of North Vancouver – Snow and Ice Removal

http://www.dnv.org/programs-and-services/snow-removal

Our Facilities Department has worked with our snow removal contractors (parking lots) to develop 'snow dump zones' at each school site. Each of the Municipalities of North Vancouver has provided useful information on their respective websites to assist our community to prepare for and manage conditions related to snow and ice.

Parents/guardians are responsible for their children's safe travel to and from school. If for any reason there is concern that a child cannot travel safely, other arrangements should be made. Parents are also encouraged to establish an emergency plan for their children in the event that schools are closed, start late, or dismiss early. Please ensure that your children are dressed appropriately to get to and from school. Your cooperation will be much appreciated!

In the meantime, please consider the following:

• In the event of heavy snowfall, Mahon cul-de-sac will remain closed to traffic.
• To further facilitate the smooth flow of traffic during excessive snow falls, ALL parents who drive their children to Mountainside Secondary, André Piolat, or Braemar are asked to drive north along Mahon Ave and to exit west along Evergreen to Delbrook Ave. This one way flow of traffic is suggested in our respective 'School Snow Plans' as a strategy to help minimize congestion and keep the streets safer for our students.
• Any Braemar parents needing to park their vehicles should do so well away from the school.
• Once at school, every effort will be made to clear pathways to three main entrances to the school. Students should use either:
• The southeast door (entrance off of primary playground)
• The main front door to the school
• The door leading from the undercover play area

Please note that the other entrances will be opened, but access to it may not be shoveled.

Thank you for your continued cooperation.