Editorial
Lisa Dumontier

I came across an interesting debate last week after snow and sleet on January 11th prompted the cancellation of school buses region-wide. While kids that could trek to school were welcomed by teachers with open arms, bus students celebrated a “snow day” and rambunctious classrooms typically filled to the brim with bubbly children were forced to survive the day half full. Parents and teachers (past and present) were weighing in on the discussion relaying age-old stories beginning with “when I was a kid . . .” and remarking on the frequency of snow days across Northwestern Ontario—a region typically burdened with heavy snow fall and increment weather.

Not to get all “I had to walk up hill both ways to school” on you but, when I was a student at Red Lake Madsen Public School and later at Red Lake District High School, snow days were a treat rarely celebrated by this Red Lake student. I was not bussed to class and as long as the roads were clear my parents generally sent me off to school regardless of whether or not other students (namely my friends) were staying home. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “If your friends decided to jump off a cliff would you jump too?” and really those snow days generally turned out to be a lot of fun. Small classrooms would join together for gym class, recess was a blast sliding down the small school yard hill and in high school, snowy conditions meant no lines in the cafeteria, no crowds in the hallways and sometimes movie time in English class—although the subject matter was often quite dry. Yes, snow days were a luxury rarely celebrated and I only remember one time when I arrived at school to be sent home for the day (thanks Mr. Tressor).

This doesn’t seem to be the case anymore as blistery weather pulls students out of class on a more frequent basis. From a historical standpoint this seems rather odd given global warming’s effect on our weather and the fact that, in comparison to today, wintertime in the Red Lake area used to take a much bigger bite out of residents with more snow and colder temperatures. This doesn’t even take into account the classrooms of year’s past or the improvements to winter clothing and our ability to protect our bodies from the elements.

As one voice in the debate pointed out; cancelling buses is not the same thing as cancelling school and when bad weather arises, keeping buses off the highways is more about liability for the drivers than it is about too much snow. “Would you want to be responsible for 40 kids on a school bus with insufficient tires and no seat belts?” she asked. Good point. And maybe that’s what has changed.

While our weather has seemingly improved over the years and technology has made keeping warm in extreme temperatures entirely more manageable, changes in travel and global happenings have altered the way we think and subsequently react to situations including less than desirable winter weather. We learn from the world around us and while there have been no bus accidents in the Red Lake area that have resulted in student injuries, icy road conditions have lead to accidents in other jurisdictions highlighting the risks of winter road travel. It’s better to be safe than sorry and from many perspectives, on days when road conditions aren’t the greatest the safety of bus students should definitely trump the necessity of having those students attend class.

That being said, our climate isn’t likely to change drastically anytime soon. We do live in the North after all where snowy weather and cold temperatures are seemingly the norm, studded or chained tires are nothing out of the ordinary, and a large percentage of the student body has access to a snowmobile which they utilize to get to and from class on a regular basis. Snow days can be a lot of fun but shouldn’t be over utilized by constant worriers.

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