"There is not enough time left in the Winter season to allow organized high school sports to resume," Laura Elliott, TVDSB Executive Superintendent of Program Services, said on Tuesday, January 22, 2013.

"We have run out of time," Elliott says, explaining there aren't enough days left in the winter schedule to allow students adequate time for practice and competition.

The decision affects TVRA's Winter sports schedule only. TVRA's Spring schedule will be considered at a later date.

"This does not mean we're cancelling sports for the rest of the year," Elliott emphasized. "We are still hopeful. Anything can happen in the talks between the province and the teachers' unions."

The season was paused in December after secondary school teachers withdrew participation in voluntary and extracurricular activities. [Sources say the OSSTF has said it's members may not resume participation in voluntary and extracurricular activities until the current contract expires in 2014.]

Despite the loss of the TVRA schedule, TVDSB will carefully monitor changing labour conditions and will endeavour to provide sports opportunities for students as developments allow, added Elliott.

TVRA (Thames Valley Regional Athletics) sports are organized by TVDSB in cooperation with London District Catholic School Board, the London District Christian Secondary School, École Secondaire Mgr-Bruyère, École secondaire Gabriel-Dumont and Ecole secondaire Notre-Dame.