The Bathurst High School Phantoms 15 passenger van, January 12, 2008. On May 5, a 15 passenger van carrying 12 high school hockey players and two teachers from Ecole Secondaire College Mathieu in Gravelbourg slid off Highway 2 and into the ditch. Fortunately, nobody was injured. In the aftermath of the accident, the District said it was going to review its policies regarding the use of 15 passenger vans. Photo by Sandor Fizli
Saskatchewan Government Won't Ban Vans
The Saskatchewan government leaves the decision on 15 passenger van use up to each school district.
Audrey Roadhouse, Saskatchewan's deputy minister of education, said the province is not considering a ban and noted that few divisions use the vehicles any more.
Celeste York, director of education for Saskatchewan's Holy Trinity School Division, said her division tries to use its van within Moose Jaw, but it is sometimes driven outside of city limits. The division is considering purchasing a vehicle to replace the van.
Neither the Regina Public nor Prairie South divisions use 15-passenger vans, but will use 12-passenger vehicles, while the Prairie Valley School division does not use vans for transport at all.
The Good Spirit School Division follows the same regulations as the Conseil des ecoles fransaskoise and Holy Trinity. The Regina Catholic board will only allow 15-passenger vans to be used within city limits.
