Some Cape Breton schools to close over 'credible' weapons threat

Some public schools in Cape Breton will be closed on Friday as police investigate what they are calling a weapons threat.

The Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education (CBVRCE) sent a message to students and staff Thursday evening instructingthem not to cometo schools and offices on March 13.

"A number of schools in our region have received what the police have deemed to be a credible weapons threat to students and staff," the message said.

School administrators said they were exercising "an abundance of caution" with the support of police, who are investigating the threats.

Spokesperson Michelle MacLeod said the threat was received by the CBVRCE and multiple schools. She would not say how many schools, or the nature of the threat.

More than 12,000 students and about 2,500 staff across 39 CBVRCE schools will be affected by the closure.

MacLeod said this is the first time a weapons threat has caused widespread school closures in Cape Breton in the 38 years she's worked for the public school administrator.

CSAP schools

The closure will also apply to toile de l'Acadie, a P-12 Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) school in Sydney that has about 300 students and 45 staff members.

The other two CSAP schools on the island will remain open on Friday.