Parry Sound students have missed their school bus 17 times to date.
That number is attributed to the number of times busses were canceled due to inclement weather according to Nipissing-Parry Sound Student Transportation Services, also known as the Consortium.
“The bottom line is road conditions and the ability to travel them safely. Our objective is to get students to and from school safely,” asserts Chuck Seguin, Executive Director of NPSSTS.
Seguin added that this winter has been one of the harshest winters in terms of extremes.
“We had days of very cold weather and freezing rain over long periods of time and this most recent storm brought winds and a lack of visibility and its taxing on everybody. Municipal resources to get roads open and navigable has been incredible” he said.
While November 11th was the first snowfall day in the region, November 27th was the first bus cancellation for students this winter season. Seguin says that the bus cancellations have happened more frequently this year than in the past
“Our critical message to parents is: you must have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C, and keep an eye on the forecast. If you see a weather “watch” or a “warning”, that should indicate that you may have put those plans in place.”
District schools do stay open during inclement weather, despite bus cancellations.