The Winnipeg School Division received a fax Wednesday threatening its 78 elementary schools, junior highs and high schools.

The typed fax was received at about 8:30 a.m.

Police said they are working closely with WSD to make sure “all reasonable safety measures are employed.”

However, police said early indications are that the threat is unfounded.

The Winnipeg School Division provided a letter to students Wednesday morning. A copy obtained by CTV News said the threat was received anonymously from an out-of-country location, and it was deemed a hoax by police at 10:30 a.m.

“The threat to do harm contained some specific elements in terms of how that would take place. We didn’t find anything that supported anyone’s ability to do that,” said Const. Rob Carver with WPS.

Police said they have an idea where the threat came from, but didn’t confirm that location.

So far no suspects have been identified.

Winnipeg Schools were not put into lockdown and were not evacuated, the division said.

Winnipeg police said they believe this threat is connected to ones made in the east coast today.

“Because of the nature of the threat, similarities, other issues, it appeared they were connected,” Carver said.

Based on what WPS knew about the local threat and the investigation into earlier threats, Winnipeg schools were not advised to evacuate.

“It didn’t seem to make sense if we didn’t think the threat was justified, was serious, and we didn’t,” Carver added,

WSD said it followed its normal crisis response protocol.

Police believe this is the first division-wide threat made in the city.

PEI, HALIFAX SCHOOLS FACING SIMILAR THREATS:

“Numerous locations in Canada have experienced similar threats,” said Carver.

A bomb threat sent to Ottawa RCMP targeted all of Prince Edward Island’s nearly 60 schools.

It said schools would be targeted throughout the day Wednesday.

RCMP confirmed the threat came via fax that morning, and that schools were notified within 10 minutes.

The threat sent 19,000 students home just after classes began.

Threats also forced the evacuation of three post-secondary schools in Nova Scotia.