Regular delays and cancellations of school buses in Dawson City, Yukon, place significant stress on local families, according to Klondike MLA Brent McDonald. Staff at Robert Service School informed parents on Monday that afternoon pickups would halt starting the next day through the end of the month due to driver shortages.
Parents Scramble Amid Repeated Disruptions
McDonald notes this marks the latest in a series of abrupt service interruptions, forcing caregivers to hastily arrange alternatives. “When they change on short notice, it means that parents, in this case, have to make other arrangements, asking friends or the school to keep kids until they’re done work,” McDonald states.
Such cancellations also impose financial burdens, as parents may need to leave work early or miss shifts entirely. “There are some employers that can accommodate that without issue but there’s a lot of people—like doctors, nurses, ambulance workers, police officers, emergency response people—who, you know, it’s challenging for them,” he adds.
Systemic Challenges Highlighted
Representing Dawson City, McDonald has written to Education Minister Scott Kent, pressing for resolution of deep-rooted problems in Yukon’s school bus operations. After consulting concerned residents, he identifies key issues including operations in extreme cold, insufficient staffing, frequent late routes, and outright cancellations.
“Once in a while it’s understandable that things happen, but it seems to be school bus transportation is a bit suffering from systemic issues right now,” McDonald explains.
Government Acknowledges Inconvenience
A cabinet spokesperson, Tim Kucharuk, confirms the Department of Education recognizes the disruption from the temporary afternoon route suspension. The department collaborates with Standard Bus on solutions, including active evaluation of flying in a qualified driver.
Local options proved unviable; Standard Bus contacted a community charter company, but it cannot handle student transport. Standard Bus received no immediate response for comment.
Local Business Proposes Local Solution
Jesse Cooke, owner of Husky Bus—a Dawson City tour and transport operator—expresses interest in the territory’s bidding process for rural bus services. “I understood that maybe the territory does all rural transportation all at once,” Cooke says. “They’re probably looking for a company to do it all. I’m just suggesting that probably locally here in Dawson it probably makes most sense to have a local company do it.”
Though lacking certified school buses currently, Cooke pledges investment for a multi-year contract. “It’s not to throw any other company under the proverbial bus, but there are gaps,” he notes. “There are gaps in the service. I think any parent of any student here can tell you that. I would just like to see it done better [and] I’d be happy to take a crack at it.”
