Quebec school bus service still not finalized days before academic year begins
School bus service may not be in place at the start of the school year after all, despite an agreement in principle made last week.
On Friday, the province and the Fédération des transporteurs par autobus (FTA) announced it had come to a last-minute agreement, ensuring "a reliable and safe transportation service for all students for the start of the school year."
That agreement, however, means that it is then up to each school board and service centre to come to an agreement with the carrier or carriers in its territory, using the budget available to it.
Most unions have decided they will not accept their offers, including boards on the island of Montreal.
The Centre de services scolaires de Montréal said that "despite intensive negotiations over the past several months," it has still not been able to conclude a contract with most of its carriers.
One Montreal transport company said on the island alone, it could affect at least 30,000 pupils.
"The current offer, what was proposed on Friday, it makes for a really hard choice for carriers as myself. We come back down to two things: either we maintain safe and secure busses or we have a lack of funding for the drivers, which comes down to the kids' safety," said Andrew Jones, owner of Elite Transport.
School boards are scrambling to figure out how they will open school, with the Montreal CSS telling parents to "plan alternative ways to transport their children in the event that the service is not provided in time for the start of the new school year."
One English school board said it is considering other options, like extended school hours to accommodate working parents, though nothing has been finalized.
Those arrangements still won't work for many parents, said Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents Committee Association, especially those who do not have flexible shifts.
"Many people can't have a Plan B, so what do we do then? It's a serious, serious problem. School is a right. Every child has a right to go to school, and bussing is an integral part," she said.
The spokesperson for Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge said he is not available for comment today.
Students in the English school boards on the island of Montreal head back to class next week. Classes in the French system start on Friday.
- With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From collapsing ecosystems to artificial intelligence running wild, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the coming years.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.