No parent should be afraid to send their child to school, but that is the reality in the south Okanagan community of Kaleden.
Kaleden Elementary School sits on a busy and narrow road and there is no sidewalk.
The Kaleden Elementary Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is sounding the alarm and demanding the province take action before a child gets hurt, or even worse.
“I think parents’ greatest fears is having their children struck by a vehicle,” said parent Joline McNolty.
“Our little school zone is much overdue for some improvements.”
McNolty said there have been many close calls.
“A vehicle blew past a stopped bus who was allowing children to cross and he narrowly missed them.”
The PAC launched a petition appealing for a sidewalk and sent a letter to B.C’.s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Claire Trevena.
The letter resulted in a meeting between the province, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the Okanagan Skaha school district and parent advisory council.
Some quick fixes like a speed-reader board were put in place but the sidewalk is still tentative.
The school district representative for Kaleden, Ginny Manning, said it’s tougher to get school zone safety enhancements in rural areas.
“You’re working with the regional district, who’ve been very supportive, but as well as the Ministry of Transport so there’s sort of some blurring of lines and it’s a bit of a puzzle,” she said.
The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement that it can’t put speed bumps on provincial roads in rural areas as they can pose safety and maintenance concerns.
The province said that while local governments, in this case the regional district, are responsible for the construction and maintenance of sidewalks, “the ministry is willing to consider a partnership should the RDOS wish to proceed with a sidewalk in this area.”
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