Post-secondary schools cancel classes for national day of mourning

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/09/2022 (736 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While it’s business as usual Monday for City of Winnipeg workers and K-12 schools, Manitoba’s major post-secondary institutions will be closed for the national day of mourning to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth.

The University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Université de Saint-Boniface, Red River College Polytechnic and Brandon University confirmed Wednesday they will cancel classes Sept. 19.

“The college continues to extend its deepest condolences to all members of the Royal Family and has lowered its flags to half-mast to express a collective sense of sorrow,” a statement from RRC Polytech said.

Flags on school campuses and other institutions across the province are to remain at half-mast until sunset Monday, the day of the queen’s funeral, national protocol suggests.

Tests and exams at RRC that were set for Monday will be rescheduled to ensure students do not experience any negative impacts from the last-minute closure, the Winnipeg-based college said.

The University of Manitoba said classes that were to be held Sept. 19 may be rescheduled “on a case-by-case basis.”

City of Winnipeg employees will not be getting time off work to honour the queen, who died Sept. 8 at age 96, director of communications Felicia Wiltshire said in an email.

“We are encouraging city employees to take time on Sept. 19, to reflect on the memory of her late majesty Queen Elizabeth,” the statement said. “We are also asking employees to, if possible, observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. on Monday.”

All city operations will continue as scheduled and no additional pay will be granted for anyone working Monday, she said.

The city made the decision to proceed with business as usual after the provincial government acknowledged Sept. 19 as a day of mourning but did not declare it a provincial public holiday.

Manitoba government offices providing non-essential services, including Crown corporations and government agencies, will be closed Monday.

A source said Manitoba Liquor Marts (including home delivery), as well as both Winnipeg casinos and the Shark Club gaming centre, will be open Monday. Impacted staff who work Sept. 19 will be paid as though it were a statutory holiday.

Meantime, the province is still deciding what to do about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the government spokeswoman said.

Manitoba has said it plans to declare Sept. 30 a provincial holiday in time for next year’s national holiday. This year, K-12 schools will close Sept. 30, as they did in 2021, in recognition of the legacy of the residential school system.

City of Winnipeg employees, meanwhile, have Sept. 30 off to observe the national holiday.

— with files from Maggie Macintosh and Joyanne Pursaga

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca