How does Champlain College make the decision on closing the campus during inclement weather?

Champlain College serves a diverse community from the South Shore, North Shore and the Island of Montreal. In a situation where the College is required to close due to inclement weather, power failure or other emergencies, the College will make every attempt to provide as much advance notice as possible. 

A decision to close the College is made by the Campus Director in consultation with a group at the College Management concerned. The paramount concern is for the safety of our students, faculty and employees. When considering to close the College, factors that influence the decision are:

  • Student, faculty and employee safety
  • Campus accessibility
  • Transit availability
  • Road conditions
  • Weather forecast
  • Day-of activities or special events for groups using the campus
  • Other post-secondary or school closures

Decisions are made with the information available at the time and take into consideration what may happen in the coming hours. Following any decision, conditions continue to be monitored and updates are provided as soon as they are available.

The Campus Director will make a decision by 6AM for activities happening in the morning (classes, exams, etc), 10AM for activities scheduled in the afternoon and 3PM for things taking place in the evening. This decision could see classes being cancelled but the College remain open for business.  In this event employees are required to report to work.

In all cases, information will be disseminated via Omnivox, the College’s website and on social media.

Each person knows what is safe for them and we support individuals to make these personal decisions. Whatever choice is made, we encourage the entire Champlain College community to be flexible and patient.