Some schools in northern, eastern Ontario reopen after police investigate threats

Schools have reopened and classes are back to normal following an Ontario Provincial Police investigation into a number of threatsagainst school boards in the province.

The French Catholic school board representing 10 schools in nine communities between Red Lake and Marathonin northwestern Ontario reported it received the threat overnight Tuesday and its schools wereclosedWednesday.

Schools in northern Ontariofrom Temagami to Hearst, including Timminswere closed as well, while later in the day, police became aware of similar threats centred on eastern Ontario, in the Ottawa region.

Spokespeople for both the Lakehead Public District School Board and the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board saynone of theirschools have received threats and classes have continued as normal.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)saidmultiple school boards in northern and eastern Ontario have been subject to bomb threats and the schools are being told to pay a ransom. Most,but not all thetargeted schools are French.No evidence of any explosives has been found, police said.

"There have been no devices found and no reason to believe this is legitimate," said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson."It just appears to be someone trying to make money. Best-case scenario it's just a huge inconvenience for everyone."

Local OPP officers and its cybercrimes investigators are working on the case.

Parents askedto stay in touch with school boards

The Thunder Bay police officers were at two local schoolscole CatholiqueFranco-Suprieur and SC de La Vrendryein response to the threats earlier Wednesday, said Insp. Jeremy Pearson.

The investigation is ongoing, but since those schools have been closed for the day, there is no immediate threat to public safety, he said.

Most of the schools across the regionthat have been subjected to a threat were closed, saidDickson.

Parents are asked to getin contact with their individual school boards for more information and to report any suspicious activity to police.