Saanich School District (SD63) says its buses are no longer servicing a stretch of Prospect Lake Road, affecting more than a dozen students, after a recent collision.
Saanich School District says its buses are no longer servicing a stretch of Prospect Lake Road, affecting more than a dozen students, after a recent collision.
It took 40 minutes for parents and students on Wednesday morning to walk more than two kilometres to Prospect Lake Elementary School, a route that students would normally take a school bus.
An SD63 bus would usually take its last stop at the intersection of Prospect Lake Road and Petworth Drive, before turning around, back to the elementary school in rural Saanich. But following a recent motor vehicle incident, the district has told families that it will no longer operate along that route.
“We don’t have alternate routes. Like the back of all these house is a lake,” said parent Jude Coates. Nearly 20 students are affected by the change, leaving them with limited travel options, including walking along the route. Renee Mulligan led the walk, aimed at raising awareness of the recent SD63 decision and says other options like setting up a neighbourhood shuttle system are unfeasible.
“Does this mean our children are expected to walk down the same road, with no shoulders, a winding road, and there are cars travelling at high speeds? ” said the parent. Superintendent of Schools Dave Eberwein says the decision was made following a May 11 collision at the intersection of Petworth Drive and Prospect Lake Road.
“The school bus that travels that route was involved in a motor vehicle incident by turning around and was hit by the vehicle. We’re fortunate there weren’t students on the bus at the time. ” Eberwein says when Saanich Police arrived, they were told that the bus using that intersection as a turnaround was unsafe and illegal.
“Our obligation is to make sure that all students who travel on our buses are in the safest possible situation. That includes the drivers as well and other traffic on the road,” said the superintendent. Mulligan says she and other parents tried meeting with the district’s transportation department to provide solutions to try and keep the bus route running, including parents acting as flaggers and finding another location to be used as a turnaround.
Power to Be, a non-profit just a few minutes down the road, offered its property to be used as a turnaround, but the district said that after trialling it, it was too difficult for bus drivers to maneuver around. The superintendent says it has one smaller bus, but that’s currently in use at a designated route to pick up and drop off students with complex needs.
“This affects kids at three different schools…and there’s a lot of feeder roads on Prospect Lake Road, where kids are living,” said Mulligan. “It’s going to be challenging to get enough people to arrange a shuttle, or convince kids to wear an entire body suit of light,” said Coates.
Eberwein says there is no solution right now, and he’s raised this issue to the District of Saanich, hoping the municipality will make changes to the roadway, and is encouraging other families to do the same.
“I do empathize with the parents that are put into this situation. They have my word that safety is of utmost importance to us and that revolves ensuring that the students on the bus are as safe as possible,” said Eberwein.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Red Lake, Ont., under boil water advisory due to water main break, and loss of pressureThe Municipality of Red Lake in northwestern Ontario is under a boil water advisory due to a water main break, which has created a loss in water pressure. Here's what we know about the situation.
Read more »
What makes 2026 NHL Draft prospect Ivar Stenberg specialAfter a hot World Championship performance last month, the scouting world has fallen in love with Stenberg again.
Read more »
Bodies of missing paddleboarders recovered from Squamish, B.C., lakeThe days-long search for two paddleboarders who fell into a lake in Squamish, B.C., has ended in tragedy.
Read more »
Caleb Malhotra's Impressive Rise to Become a Top OHL ProspectCaleb Malhotra's decision to bypass the OHL for the BCHL and subsequent trade to the Brantford Bulldogs has led to an impressive rise in the hockey world. Despite joining a competitive team, Malhotra established himself as one of the league's elite talents and is now a near shoo-in to be the first Ontario-based forward drafted in 2025.
Read more »