By Colleen Smith

New buses for Petapan mean a safer ride for preschoolers

May 10, 2016 | 6:06 PM

The spring semester at Petapan Preschool will be brimming with outdoor excursions thanks to the addition of two new buses provided by the Public Health Agency.

Tina Sunchild, administrative coordinator for the school enjoys knowing students attending Petapan will be provided with more opportunities to go out and explore their surrounding area.

“With these new buses, it gives us the opportunity to go on more field trips; we’re able to go and check out different events around town, things like that,” Sunchild said.

Sunchild said Petapan, a school which primarily works with Aboriginal, Metis and Inuit children aged three to five, will find the new buses a better fit as well as an improved experience for their students. The replacement transportation was long overdue, she said.

“For the past four years, I’ve been writing proposal after proposal,” Sunchild said. “And finally, the Public Health Agency had given us the money to purchase two new buses, and had given us some extra money to install the new integrated child safety seats.”

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Unlike before, the addition of safety seats allows the preschool’s transport system to easily operate at the full 80 child capacity.

Sunchild said the buses before the replacement were old and due for retirement. She noted one bus – a 1997 Ford model donated by the Gold Eagle Casino – constantly broke down and always required extensive repair.

“The kilometres even rolled over once,” Sunchild said. “So we don’t even know where the kilometres are really at.”

The new vehicles are now up and running at the school.

colleen.smith@jpbg.ca

@ColleenAJSmith