Friday 13 October 2023

The wheels on the bus go round and round and round: Long rural bus route worries parents

 
 

The wheels on the bus go round and round and round: Long rural bus route worries parents

Kids might spend 2½ hours a day on a bus, but district says changing a route would have 'domino effect’

Sarah Kennedy says this norm has her daughter, who is in Grade 1, coming home from school not wanting to talk to or look at anyone and going straight to bed.

This girl spends 2½ hours on the bus every day to get to and from her home in Youngs Cove to the Cambridge-Narrows Community School, normally about a 20-minute drive each way.

"They're tired by the time they get to school," Kennedy said of students in the southern New Brunswick community who must take a school bus. "By the time they get home from school, they're completely exhausted.

"Then sometimes we're faced with trying to do homework and suppertime and a lot of the kids just, they don't want to function by the time they get home, and I can't blame them."

A smiling woman with rectangular glasses Sarah Kennedy said her daughter, who is in Grade 1, is coming home from school and going straight to bed because of her long day. (Submitted by Sarah Kennedy)

When she can, Kennedy said, she will drive her daughter, but she's on disability now, so it's only an option on good days.

Craig Dykeman said his daughter, Keva, is in a similar situation. She just started kindergarten in September and rides the bus 80 minutes each way to get to the K-12 Cambridge-Narrows school.

He said Keva was excited to start school, but now, with the long bus ride, isn't as thrilled.

"She's pretty darn tired after the end of the day," Dykeman said. "She's had enough. She's getting harder to wake up in the morning, too." 

He also said it is hard to expect children to sit still for that long without getting into trouble or falling asleep.

Dykeman said he's contacted the district about his concerns and has received only the generic response that the district is looking into it.

A little girl dressed in pink getting onto a school bus Craig Dykeman says his daughter, Keva, rides the bus 80 minutes each way to get to the K-12 Cambridge-Narrows school. (Submitted by Craig Dykeman)

A spokesperson confirmed the district has heard from parents about the bus route.

In an emailed statement, Jennifer Read said that in mid-September, the superintendent and other executives met to discuss the parents' concerns.

The Anglophone West School District covers nearly a third of the province, said Read, and more than 18,000 students are eligible for busing.

"Planning routes is a strategic endeavour, and changes have a domino effect," she wrote.

At their meeting, district officials looked at changing bus runs or times, Read said, but determined those options weren't "feasible with the resources in place and without adding time to other students' days."

A little girl, wearing pink, smiling with her arms outstretched Dykeman says his daughter, pictured here on the first day of school, was excited to start kindergarten, but now, with the long bus ride, isn’t as thrilled. (Submitted by Craig Dykeman)

CBC News asked the district if the long route was a result of cuts to the bus fleet but did not receive a response before publication.

Kennedy said she tries to send her daughter with colouring books to keep her entertained, but it doesn't help with the  exhaustion. She said her daughter would normally go outside and play with her pony after school, but no longer feels like doing even that.

She also said her daughter has told her the day and the bus ride are too long, and she doesn't want to do it anymore. 

Caroline Price, a child and youth therapist based in Fredericton, said a reaction like this to going to school could be a result of some anxiety worsened by the long commute.

"You might see an increase in school avoidance, having a lot more tummy aches, more headaches, more tension, that kind of stuff, in order to avoid going to school altogether," she said.

Price said although nobody enjoys a long commute, for a child, it is even worse. With only 24 hours in a day and young kids needing nine to 12 hours of sleep a day, an especially long school day leaves little time for fun activities or family time.

A beige brick building that says "School District District Office 1135 Prospect"   An Anglophone West School District spokesperson says the district covers nearly one-third of New Brunswick, and more than 18,000 students are eligible for busing. (Jordan Gill)

In her work, Price said, she has four pillars of health that she covers: sleep, nutrition, movement and self-care, which encompasses downtime and socialization. 

If any of those pillars of health aren't met, she said, it creates an imbalance.

"This could be like, you know, having some increase in anxiety symptoms or increase in depressive symptoms, like, you know, just feeling more lethargic … feeling more tired, more sad, maybe we're less likely to engage in activities that we previously enjoyed," said Price.

"That kind of creates a bit of a cycle in terms of a declining mental health."

A selfie of a smiling woman with long, wavy brown hair. Caroline Price, a child and youth therapist in Fredericton, says that with only 24 hours in a day and young kids needing nine to 12 hours of sleep a day, an especially long school day leaves little time for fun or family time. (Submitted by Caroline Price)

She said an especially long day could also affect a child's ability to sustain attention, especially for those with learning disabilities or diagnoses such as ADHD. 

Kennedy and Dykeman also said that after school, the younger kids play outside for an hour every day until the older kids are done and ready to get on a bus, making for an even longer day. Kennedy said she understands that this is part of being at this school and she can accept it.

But she would like to see the district address the long bus ride and maybe add a bus or two for the area.

"If they could find ways to break up the routes so the kids can have shorter days on the bus, that would make a huge difference."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Hannah Rudderham is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick. She grew up in Cape Breton, N.S., and moved to Fredericton in 2018. You can send story tips to hannah.rudderham@cbc.ca.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 
 
37 Comments
 
 
David R. Amos 

I never leave home on Friday 13th and definitely worried when my kids headed out to catch the bus 
 
 
David R. Amos
Now that Ross Wetmore is done with the PCs' I wonder if Craig Dykeman will turn coat like Austin did and go for the seat again

Fredericton area awash in colours as 4 parties send MLAs to legislature

A look at some of the winners and losers in the ridings that make up Fredericton and surrounding areas

Elizabeth Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Sep 24, 2018 11:25 PM ADT

Gagetown-Petitcodiac

The PCs' Ross Wetmore won with 45.7 per cent of the vote, almost double his closest opponent, Craig Dykeman of the People's Alliance, at 23.5 per cent.

Back in third was Liberal Brigitte Noel, with 14.3 per cent, followed by Marilyn Merritt-Gray of the Greens, with 13.6 per cent, and New Democrat Anne Marie Richardson, with 2.1 per cent.

 
David R. Amos

Reply to David R. Amos
Progressive Conservatives sweep southern New Brunswick ridings

Liberals failed to hold Saint John Harbour

Cassidy Chisholm · CBC News · Posted: Sep 15, 2020 2:01 AM ADT

Gagetown-Petitcodiac

Progressive Conservative candidate Ross Wetmore was re-elected in the Gagetown-Petitcodiac riding.

Wetmore won 4,773 votes with all 25 polls reporting.

People's Alliance Craig Dykeman had 1,303 votes with Green candidate Marilyn Merritt-Gray close behind with 1,003 votes.

Liberal Jake Urquhart had 867 votes. NDP candidate Ryan Jewkes had 131 votes.

 
 
 
Jack Bell  
"This girl spends 2½ hours on the bus every day to get to and from her home in Youngs Cove to the Cambridge-Narrows Community School,"

What a strange coincidence, 2.5 hours is about how long I'd be on a city bus to drive me 7 kilometers to work.

 
David R. Amos
Reply to Jack Bell
Wow 

 
 
 
Wendell Bouchard 
If the foolishness of a bus for english and a bus for french was eliminated there would be extra buses available to establish shorter routes for many areas would there not? 
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to Wendell Bouchard
Yup
 
 
Rosco holt 
Reply to Wendell Bouchard
So you want nearly empty buses drive shorter routes to drive a few kids whose parents decided to live in rural settings. 
 
 
Steven Mclean 
Reply to Wendell Bouchard  
One if federally funded 
 
 
Robert Loblaw 
Reply to Wendell Bouchard 
Wendell.. Please stop making sense. 
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to Robert Loblaw
Some folks can't help it 
 
 
Wendell Bouchard
Reply to Robert Loblaw 
Yeah, I know, it's an uncommon thing on these boards. 
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to Wendell Bouchard 
Amen 
 
 
 
 
Matt Steele
A school bus ride has been a fact of life for kids living in rural areas for many , many years . The only solution is for parents to move closer to an urban center , and shorten their child's school bus ride ; or to home school their children . It is what it is . 
 
 
Robert Brannen 
Reply to Matt Steele 
Well, for those who are too young to recall a time when nearly every rural community had its own school, several schools in the case of rural communities which covered large geographical areas. Those born after the 1960s may not be aware of that fact. 
 
 
Chuck Gendron 
Reply to Robert Brannen 
Yep every 3 miles so that no child had to walk more than one and a half miles.
 
 
Chris Merriam 
Reply to Robert Brannen 
Yes, and were all better for it. 
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to Chris Merriam
Ditto
 
 
Rosco holt 
Reply to Robert Brannen
The parents could always drive and pickup their kids.  
 
 
 
 
Marjorie Bastarache 
I am 61 , being on a bus for a long time is nothing new, My siblings and I used to get on the bus at 7:35 am and not get home until 4 pm , our parents never complained as home schooling was not an option neither was driving 10 of us. Rural living has pros and cons , I have just moved back to my home of my youth and deal with safety issues ; brush growth along the road, potholes snake drive just on an 800 m stretch leading to my home. Basic service as garbage and snow removal have turned before getting to my home, if we as New Brunswickers had a government that cared there would be better infrastructure for this province , roads , schools , hospitals . Having billions in the governments bank account does not sit well with many , add another bus to help with the amount of time on buses. 
 
 
Winston Gray
Reply to Marjorie Bastarache 
Wow 745 and 4? Try 655 to 430. You had it good. 
 
 
David R. Amos

Reply to Marjorie Bastarache
You sound like a neighbour
 
 
 
 
Chuck Gendron 
OMG, we have had these long runs since 1967 when the oneroom schoolhouses were closed. What does she what a 72 passenger bus topics up her child only and go directly to school. Rural means a few kids over a large area. There have not been cuts, there is a shortage of drivers, but that is in everything. How is this news, first world problems. 
 
 
Marjorie Austin 
Reply to Chuck Gendron 
they send a 72 passenger bus to take one French student from Indian lake to Fredericton every day, how is that fair? first world problems? i dont think so. It is mismanaged funding. 
 
 
Robert Brannen 
Reply to Marjorie Austin 
Its only a 72 passenger bus if all the children are grade 2 or lower students, with children from grades 3 and up on the bus, it becomes a 48 to 72 passenger bus, dependent upon the grade mix of the students.
 
 
Chuck Gendron
Reply to Marjorie Austin 
So Marjorie Austin are you saying this case should have a big bus just for her child alone, and not pick up any other kids along to way. When I was in high school we had kids that spent 45 minutes on the bus each trip from a adjacent rural area, and they turned out fine. 
 
 
David R. Amos 
Reply to Marjorie Austin
Good question   
 
 
Jason Jensen 
Reply to Chuck Gendron 
 "And they turned out just fine"

But I thought the world was going to heck in a handbasket? Which is it? 

 
David R. Amos 
Reply to Jason Jensen
The folks who turned out fine may be wise enough to stay out of the handbasket 

 

 
 

Progressive Conservatives sweep southern New Brunswick ridings

Liberals failed to hold Saint John Harbour

The Tories were elected in all 12 ridings in the area, including Saint John Harbour, a riding known for close calls.

Saint John Harbour

Progressive Conservative candidate Arlene Dunn was elected in the Saint John Harbour riding Monday evening, taking the riding from the Liberal Party. 

In 2018, Liberal candidate Gerry Lowe secured the riding by only 10 votes. 

Lowe stepped down when the snap election was called so Alice McKim, a teacher at Saint John High School stepped up for the Liberals.

   PC candidate Arlene Dunn won handily in Saint John Harbour, making the PC sweep of the south of the province complete. (Dunn's the one, Facebook)

But the Liberals could not even hold onto second place behind the PCs. Green Party candidate Brent Harris had that honour.

In the end, Harris lost to Dunn 2,181 to 1,224, with all 31 polls reporting.

Saint John Harbour was the only riding in the area to turn from red to blue. All the other ridings stayed firmly with the Progressive Conservatives, including Quispamsis, the riding Premier Blaine Higgs calls home.

Quispamsis

Higgs was re-elected in his home riding early Monday evening, setting the tone for the rest of the night. 

He won 5,697 votes with all 28 polls reporting.

Liberal Robert Hunt won 1,225 votes. Green candidate Addison Fach had 528 votes. New Democratic Party candidate Caitlin Grogan had 501. People's Alliance candidate Sara Hall won 414 votes.

Saint Croix

Progressive Conservative Kathy Bockus was elected in the Saint Croix riding. She stepped into the role after MLA Greg Thompson died in 2019.

Bockus won 3,570 votes with 36 polls reporting, edging out People's Alliance candidate Rod Cumberland by just more than 1,000 votes.

Green Party candidate Kim Reeder won 1,238 votes. John Gardner, who was tossed from the Liberal team after the discovery of some anti-LGBTQ social media posts, picked up 401 votes and NDP candidate Brad McKinney had 147 votes.

Gagetown-Petitcodiac

Progressive Conservative candidate Ross Wetmore was re-elected in the Gagetown-Petitcodiac riding.

Wetmore won 4,773 votes with all 25 polls reporting. 

People's Alliance Craig Dykeman had 1,303 votes with Green candidate Marilyn Merritt-Gray close behind with 1,003 votes.

Liberal Jake Urquhart had 867 votes. NDP candidate Ryan Jewkes had 131 votes.

Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins

PC Tammy Scott-Wallace was elected in the Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins riding. She replaces longtime PC MLA Bruce Northrup after he stepped down earlier this year.

Scott-Wallace had 4,366 votes with all 26 polls reporting. People's Alliance's Jim Bedford came in second place with 1,321 votes.

Liberal Cully Robinson had 971 votes, trailed closely by Green candidate Tim Thompson with 969. NDP candidate Jonas Lanz had 129 votes.

Hampton

PC Gary Crossman was re-elected in the Hampton riding with 4,351 votes with all 27 polls reporting.

Liberal Carley Parish was second with 1,084 votes. Green candidate John Carl Sabine had 816 votes, followed by People's Alliance candidate Sharon Bradley-Munn with 687 votes and NDP candidate Alex White with 251.

Rothesay

PC Ted Flemming was re-elected in the Rothesay riding. Flemming has been the MLA for the area since 2012.

His 4,265 votes was almost 3,000 more than second place Liberal Jason Hickey's 1,463.

Green candidate Ann McAllister had 719 votes. People's Alliance candidate Mike Griffin had 413 votes.

Kings Centre

PC Bill Oliver was re-elected in the Kings Centre riding with 4,583 votes with all 34 polls reporting.

Green candidate Bruce Dryer came in second with 1,006 votes. Liberal Paul Adams had 911 votes. People's Alliance candidate William Edgett was fourth with 693 votes followed by NDP candidate Margaret Anderson Kilfoil with 254 votes.

Saint John East

PC Glen Savoie was re-elected in the Saint John East riding. He has been MLA in the area since 2014. 

Savoie had 3,507 votes with all 30 polls reporting, while Liberal Phil Comeau trailed behind with 1,639 votes.

People's Alliance Patrick Kemp had 434 votes. Green candidate Gerald Irish managed 394 votes with NDP candidate Josh Floyd at 248 votes.

Portland-Simonds

PC Trevor Holder was re-elected in the Portland-Simonds riding. Holder has more than two decades as MLA, holding this riding and the previous Saint John Portland riding since 1999.

He had 3,170 votes with all 31 polls reporting.

Liberal Tim Jones had 1,654 votes. Green candidate Stefan Warner was third with 483 votes. People's Alliance candidate Darella Jackson had 282 votes. NDP candidate Erik Heinze-Milne had just 164 votes.

Saint John Lancaster

PC Dorothy Shephard was re-elected in Saint John Lancaster with 3,560 votes with all 33 polls reporting. She has held the riding since 2010.

Liberal Sharon Teare came second with 1,471 votes. Green candidate Joanna Killen was third with 938 votes. People's Alliance candidate Paul Seelye won 394 votes. NDP candidate Don Durant was fifth with 201 votes.

Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West

PC Andrea Anderson-Mason was re-elected in the Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West riding. 

Anderson-Mason had 4,740 votes with all 35 polls reporting in a landslide. 

She surpassed second place Liberal candidate Tony Mann by more than 4,000 votes.  His 726 votes kept him slightly ahead of People's Alliance candidate Vincent Edgett with 688 votes, while Green candidate Lois Mitchell was close behind with 686 votes. NDP candidate Sharon Greenlaw won 291 votes.

New Brunswick Votes 2020 Results: Watch returns come in live on our interactive results page. 

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 
 
6 Comments
 
 
 
David R. Amos
 
Methinks Higgy ain't so happy these days N'esy Pas? 
 
 
 
Sherrie McLean 
Thank goodness the Conservatives won this riding.
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to Sherrie McLean
Do you recall why I ran in Saint John Harbour in 2006?
 
 
 

SarahRose Werner
Saint John Harbour is all about personalities, not parties. Gerry Lowe won last time because he was Gerry Lowe, not because he was Liberal. The PC's choice of a candidate with a strong union background this time was a smart move that paid off for them.
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to SarahRose Werner
Yea Right
 
 
 
 
Jos Allaire
Good job Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins! Higgs closed your hospital and you still voted for him. Then we will read on here how tainted blue the north is. Get ready for major cuts in services and taxes for the rich.
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to Jos Allaire
I am glad somebody noticed
 
 
 
 

Fredericton area awash in colours as 4 parties send MLAs to legislature

A look at some of the winners and losers in the ridings that make up Fredericton and surrounding areas

The capital area saw it all on Monday night — a lot of blue, but also some red, green and purple.

The Progressive Conservatives claimed five of the nine ridings in and around Fredericton, the Green Party and Liberals took one each, and the People's Alliance won two.

In the previous legislature, the Progressive Conservatives held seven of nine ridings in the area, after the Green Party claimed the Fredericton South seat and the Liberals won in Fredericton North.

This time, two formerly PC ridings went to the People's Alliance.

Although there was some variety in the top four places across the nine ridings, the NDP consistently came in fifth, with its best showing in Carleton-York, where it won three per cent of the vote.

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin was an early winner Monday night in Fredericton-Grand Lake. (Jonathan Collicott/CBC News)

Fredericton-Grand Lake

Early on election night, Alliance Leader Kris Austin captured Fredericton-Grand Lake, beating PC Pam Lynch by more than 2,000 votes and collecting 54.6 per cent of the vote. Lynch had held the seat since 2010.

Liberal Wendy Tremblay came third with 10.0 per cent of the vote, Dan Weston of the Green Party got 5.4 per cent, and Glenna Hanley of the NDP 1.3 per cent.

In Fredericton York

Rick DeSaulniers of the People's Alliance won 33.7 per cent of the vote, defeating Kirk MacDonald, who'd held the seat for the Tories since 1999 and won 30.0 per cent of the vote.

Also running were Liberal Amber Bishop, with 18.4 per cent, Amanda Wildeman of the Green Party with 15.5 per cent, and Evelyne Godfrey of the NDP with 1.1

New Brunswick election night in 90 seconds

Duration 1:40
As PCs claim victory, Liberals try to hold onto power.

Fredericton South

Green Party Leader David Coon was re-elected in Fredericton South with 56.3 per cent of the vote, with the second-place finisher, Liberal Susan Holt, far behind with 20.1 per cent of the vote.

Scott Smith of the PCs was next with 13.7 per cent, followed by Bonnie Mae Clark, at 8.1 per cent, and Chris Durrant of the NDP, at 1.7.

Fredericton North

Liberal Stephen Horsman, the deputy premier and minister of families and children, led the way with 31.6 per cent of the vote, 261 votes ahead of Progressive Conservative Jill Green. 

In third place was Lynn King, with 21.4 per cent, followed by Tamara White at 17 per cent, and Scarlett Tays of the NDP, with 1.8 per cent.

Former NDP leader turned Progressive Conservative Dominic Cardy wins Fredericton-West Hanwell. (Ed Hunter/CBC)

Fredericton West-Hanwell

Dominic Cardy, a former leader of the New Brunswick NDP, grabbed 31.8 per cent of the vote to win Fredericton West-Hanwell for the Progressive Conservatives, ahead of Liberal Cindy Miles, with 27.9 per cent.

Jason Paull of the People's Alliance was next with 20.9 per cent of the vote, followed by Green candidate Susan Jonah with 17.3, and Olivier Hébert of the NDP with two per cent.

Gagetown-Petitcodiac

The PCs' Ross Wetmore won with 45.7 per cent of the vote, almost double his closest opponent, Craig Dykeman of the People's Alliance, at 23.5 per cent.

Back in third was Liberal Brigitte Noel, with 14.3 per cent, followed by Marilyn Merritt-Gray of the Greens, with 13.6 per cent, and New Democrat Anne Marie Richardson, with 2.1 per cent.

New Maryland-Sunbury 

Jeff Carr won again in New Maryland-Sunbury for the Progressive Conservatives with 41.2 per cent. People's Alliance candidate Morris Shannon and Liberal Alex Scholten were next with 23.7 per cent each.

Green candidate Jenica Atwin got 9.7 per cent, and New Democrat Mackenzie Thomason 1.5 per cent.

Carleton-York

PC Carl Urquhart was re-elected in Carleton-York with 37.2 per cent of the vote, ahead of Gary Lemmon of the People's Alliance, with 30.8 per cent.

In third was Liberal Jackie Morehouse, with 18.5 per cent, Green Sue Rickards with 10 per cent, and Robert Kitchen of the NDP with three.

Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton

Mary Wilson hung onto Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton for the Tories with 32 per cent of the vote, in the first election since 1993 when Jody Carr hasn't run. 

Star candidate John Fife, a retired army colonel, was 93 votes behind, winning 30.7 per cent of the vote. Next was Craig Rector of the People's Alliance, with 23.2 per cent of the vote, followed by Tom McLean of the Greens with 12 per cent, and Justin Young of the NDP with 2.1.


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Clarifications

  • A previous version of this story said Jody Carr started running in provincial politics in 1991. In fact, he started in 1993 and was first elected in 1999.
    Sep 25, 2018 9:02 AM AT
 
 
 
 

Cross Country Checkup with Ian Hanomansing

FULL EPISODE: How do we fix the housing market in Canada?
1:53:00
As interest rates rise in Canada, the housing market is beginning to cool. But for many, the idea of owning a home or renting their own apartment still feels out of reach. Our question this week: How do we fix the housing market in Canada? Craig Dykeman shares his experience trying to buy a home in rural New Brunswick; Brian Doucet, Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Social Inclusion and associate professor at University of Waterloo, on the Canadian housing market; and Eric Burnet shares why he and his partner moved from Hamilton to Sydney, N.S. Plus, Mattea Roach answers questions from Checkup callers about her 23-game Jeopardy! streak.
Aired: May 8, 2022
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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