Bomb threats target schools across Quebec
A wave of bomb threats targeting educational institutions shut schools across Quebec and Ontario on Tuesday.
Institutions at all levels, Frenchlanguage as well as English-language schools, received a threatening email warning that bombs were hidden in schools.
Some schools closed for the day in the Outaouais and on the North Shore, but others chose stayed open while police conducted searches.
“Our first concern is the safety of the children,” Premier Philippe Couillard said. “I put myself in the shoes of parents, being worried for their kids and also having to go pick them up at school in the middle of the day, not knowing what was going to happen. It’s a disgusting act, a cowardly act. I know that the police inquiry will follow its course.”
Couillard said he hopes the perpetrators are arrested and tried in court.
“If — and I hope it will be the case — the inquiry identifies the responsible people, they will be, of course, prosecuted to the most severe extent,” Couillard said, without excluding the possibility of terrorism-related charges.
According to Jean-Pierre Brabant of the Montreal police, schools were searched in Rivière-des-Prairies, Dorval, St-Laurent and Beaconsfield Tuesday morning, but nothing suspicious was found and no schools were closed.
The Commission scolaire de Montréal and English Montreal School Board did not receive any threats.
Vanier College released a statement explaining that since the Montreal Police considered the threat to be unfounded, it opted not to clear students from the building.
The Sûreté du Québec, meanwhile, set up a command post in Montreal and launched an investigation across the province.
“We take this very seriously and are taking all means necessary to ensure the safety of both the students and school personnel,” said SQ spokesperson Geneviève Bruneau.
The SQ said late Tuesday that 64 institutions outside of Montreal were affected by the email threat.
Pierre Moreau, who will act as public security minister during Lise Thériault’s six-week leave of absence, said his department is monitoring the situation.
Moreau said the email has nothing to do with the ongoing labour negotiations between the province and its teachers over a new collective agreement.
The missive was signed by the so-called “Sceptre Rouge” coalition that authorities have never heard of and it referred to the quality of education and the attitude of teachers.
A man claiming to have a copy of the email posted a photo of it on Facebook. Police would not confirm whether it was authentic, but the letter posted online warned that two bombs had been placed in CEGEPs, one in a high school, one in an elementary school, and two on school buses.
“The bombs may already be planted,” it reads, “if not they will be throughout this week.”
“We have the support of a few people working within the targeted schools, and they’ll wisely hide the explosives for us.”
Moreau said he will discuss with Education Minister François Blais whether or not schools should kept on high alert while police investigate.