As a parent of a Sawmill Creek Elementary School student, I have experienced firsthand the challenges families in our area face due to the lack of school bus transportation. Our children are left to navigate unsafe and inconvenient walking routes or rely on private transportation options, which are not always feasible or affordable.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) currently do not provide bus transportation for our community, citing distance regulations that fail to consider neighborhood safety concerns or the unique hardships faced by families. The walking routes to Sawmill Creek Elementary involve busy streets with limited pedestrian infrastructure, creating hazardous conditions for young students.

Moreover, these policies disproportionately affect families like mine, who struggle daily to secure safe and reliable transportation. Without changes to these rules, our children’s safety and our family’s financial stability remain at risk.

Concrete solutions are available. We propose that the OCDSB review and amend the transportation criteria to allow exemptions for cases such as ours, where safety hazards and economic hardships are clear. We also urge OSTA to conduct a comprehensive safety assessment of the walking routes to Sawmill Creek Elementary to identify and mitigate risks.

Our children deserve safe and fair access to education. By granting transportation exceptions, both the OCDSB and OSTA can ensure that no child attending Sawmill Creek Elementary School must compromise their safety to get to school.

Young Age and Vulnerability of the Children
The students affected are very young (mostly Kindergarten and Grade 1). It is widely recognized that children of this age are not developmentally equipped to walk nearly 1.5–1.6 km unsupervised, especially under challenging conditions. Ottawa’s harsh winters, with frostbite warnings at –25°C windchill, make the walk even more dangerous. Expecting small children to trek nearly a mile in such conditions is unreasonable and unsafe. They are highly susceptible to cold-related injuries (frostbite, hypothermia) and slips and falls. For their well-being, these students should be transported safely on a school bus.

Family Hardships and Logistical Impossibility
Requiring these children to walk to school imposes severe hardship on many families. Most parents work full-time and care for multiple young children, making it logistically impossible to escort a Grade 1 child to and from school every day. For example, in Ayan Kassem’s household, both parents work full-time while also caring for a preschooler and a newborn. It is not feasible for them to escort Ayan on a 30+ minute walk each way without neglecting other responsibilities or risking their jobs. Many families face similar dilemmas. As a result, some parents feel forced to drive their children, creating traffic congestion and additional safety hazards around the school.

Operational Feasibility (Existing Routes & Stops)
Granting this exception would have minimal cost or disruption. We are not requesting a new bus route. In fact, many children in our area already receive bus service (e.g., younger siblings in Junior Kindergarten). For example, Ayan’s brother, Adam Kassem, has a designated bus stop at Farriers Lane & Hunters Point Crescent. Existing buses already pass through our neighborhood with empty seats. Allowing the currently ineligible Sawmill Creek students to use these buses would simply mean filling those seats at negligible cost.

Inconsistent Policy Application and Equity Concerns
The current transportation policy is applied inconsistently, creating inequities. Several nearby neighborhoods at similar distances do receive bus service, either due to exceptions or recognition of hazardous walking conditions. Meanwhile, some families at Sawmill Creek have children attending different programs or grades, where one sibling is eligible for busing and another is not—even within the same household. These inconsistencies are unfair. All children, regardless of exact address or program, deserve equal consideration for safe travel to school.

Impact on Attendance, Health, and Learning
Reliable school transportation improves attendance and learning readiness. Children who endure a long walk often arrive at school cold, tired, or late, while some are kept home on dangerous winter days. A bus ensures students arrive on time, warm, and ready to learn, reducing absenteeism and tardiness. This directly supports equal access to education and upholds the OCDSB’s commitment to student well-being and success.

 
Conclusion and Call to Action

In light of the serious safety hazards, the age and vulnerability of our children, the hardships faced by families, and the questions of fairness, we urge the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to take immediate action. Specifically, we request that you:

Re-evaluate the transportation eligibility criteria for Sawmill Creek Elementary students in our neighborhood and grant an exception under Policy T18.
Conduct a site-specific safety audit of the walking routes to Sawmill Creek Elementary School, assessing traffic, crossings, lighting, and winter maintenance.
Implement a pilot school bus service for our area using existing buses/routes. This pilot could be evaluated for cost, ridership, safety, and attendance outcomes, paving the way for permanent service.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss these requests further. In keeping with the principles of student safety, equity, and access, we ask the OCDSB and OSTA to give this petition serious consideration. We kindly request a written response at your earliest convenience, and we remain hopeful for a positive resolution that ensures the safety of all children attending Sawmill Creek Elementary School.