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
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.