A powerful winter storm system sweeping across Southern Ontario on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 has led to widespread school bus cancellations across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), disrupting morning routines for thousands of families as freezing rain, snow and ice create hazardous road conditions. Environment Canada had issued winter storm warnings and freezing rain alerts for much of the region ahead of the storm, forecasting a mix of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain that would make travel treacherous throughout the day.
In response, multiple school boards including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), cancelled all bus transportation for the day, though schools themselves remain open. In surrounding regions from York and Peel to Durham, Halton and Waterloo, school bus services, taxis and special needs routes were also suspended due to the risky conditions, with boards urging families to keep children home if it was not safe to travel.
