Sudbury student shares frustration with school bus cancellations
Denika Legault, a Grade 11 student at College Notre Dame in Sudbury, says frequent problems with school buses this year have sometimes left her in the cold.
Legault said her high school experience has been anything but normal so far.
“It's been pretty difficult," she said. "It's hard to keep stable grades because one day we’re online then were at school then we’re told to go to school without any transportation. So it's been pretty difficult, but we’re trying our best.”
Legault said there are currently no options for learning from home if students have to isolate or don’t have transportation. She said that is unfair.
“I’ve been left twice without a bus so far," she said.
"Once it was in the morning and I was waiting outside and it was like -40 outside and I waited outside for 20 minutes and it never came and there was nothing (from) the bus consortium about my bus.”
Renée Boucher of the Sudbury Student Services Consortium said the organization does its best to make sure all of the necessary information is available on its website. https://www.businfo.ca/en/
“Every morning on our website we post the cancellations under our announcements but we also have a section for delays, and so just a reminder for parents to verify,” said Boucher.
She said a driver shortage and constant sick calls are to blame for the cancelled bus routes in Sudbury, but said the situation is improving.
“We have four school bus routes that are being cancelled this week because of the driver shortage, so that is much, much better than before Christmas, so it's coming along," Boucher said.
"We are training drivers and keeping them behind the wheels of our buses. One of our biggest issues right now is drivers who are either ill themselves or they reside with someone who is symptomatic.”
She said last on Jan. 21, 28 routes were cancelled due to isolation rules. On Monday, it was 16. Boucher said she's hopeful this week will be better than the last.
But ultimately, she said the problem will only be solved once there are extra drivers on the roster to cover sick calls.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.
Some millennials say federal budget was 'a letdown' amid cost of living struggles
It’s a picture-perfect scene: Adam and Maria Reynolds are playing with their daughters inside their Port Coquitlam, B.C. home. Watching them together, you might not realize the Reynolds household is stretched to its limit.