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This comes at a time whenÌýmore CanadiansÌýareÌýalteringÌýtravel plans amid U.S.ÌýPresident Donald Trump’s annexation threats, and fears of border scrutiny.

TheÌýYCDSB made its decision to not move ahead with new trips to the States keeping in mindÌý“how some of our students, staff and community members are feeling about the changing Canada-U.S. relationship.”Ìý

YCDSB spokesperson Mark Brosens told the Star any previously approved school excursions to the U.S. will proceed but with additional precautions. These include having a school’s principal or vice-principal join the field trips, and conducting a “daily check-in” with the group of students while they’re out of country. Brosens added that the board will be “re-evaluating travel to the U.S. in the new school year.”Ìý

The Star heard back from several GTA school boards. Here’s what they had to say:

•A spokesperson for the º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøDistrict School Board said there’s “no system direction” regarding field trips to the U.S. and no cancellations of these trips are on the radar.

•A º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøCatholic District School Board spokesperson said the board is not aware of any cancelled trips to the U.S. but will take “necessary steps to ensure all students comply with entry and exit requirements for international travel prior to departure.”Ìý

•Any U.S. trips for schools in the York Region District School Board, Peel District School Board and Halton District School Board will proceed as scheduled as the boards monitor any changes to the government’s travel advisories.Ìý

•Durham District School Board’s head of public affairs, Dervla Kelly, said the board is proceeding with these trips cautiously by “consulting with the Canadian Embassy and U.S. consulates, adding additional staff support for supervision and contingency planning, following any new border advisories, and maintaining open communication with staff, students and families.” Kelly said the board is reviewing the coming school year’s travel plans.Ìý

•Students at schools in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board can also expect to go on their American field trips. However, the board is urging parents, students and staff to ensure their travel documents are in order before departure and it said students who are not Canadian citizens may require additional documentation such as visas and permits. Spokesperson Bruce E. CampbellÌýalso said the board is advisingÌýparents/guardians to ensureÌýchildrenÌýare aware of the process and can respond appropriately and respectfully to any questions asked byÌýU.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

North of Toronto, in Sudbury, the issue has also come to light at the Catholic board.

At a March 18 board meeting, Sudbury Catholic District School Board Chair Michael Bellmore put forward a “buy Canadian” motion similar to policies proposed by governments to purchase and consume Canadian-made goods and services.ÌýIt was passed unanimously at the meeting and as part of the motion,Ìýhe also indicated that “for the foreseeable future” there would be a pause to any U.S. school excursions under his board.

“It’s such a chaotic time south of the border,” Bellmore said. “We’re seeing a number of things which we as a democratic society would take a pause and say, ‘that doesn’t make sense to us.’

“I would be concerned sending a busload of children, their teachers and chaperones across the border.”

Bellmore said students could face risks in crossing, as any errors in documentation could lead to students being refused at the border; students from minority groups may be subject to extra inspection and treated unfairly, he said.ÌýÌý

Bellmore says the Sudbury Catholic board has no such trips planned at the moment and he wants to keep his students “out of harm’s way until things calm down and we have a better understanding of what’s going to occur in the next number of years under the current administration.”ÌýÌý