Our Children’s Safety Cannot Wait

We, the undersigned parents, guardians, and community members, are deeply concerned about the recent removal of school bus transportation for students living in the Wiltshire and Rapids neighbourhood who attend Gregory Hogan, St. Anne’s, St. Patrick’s, St. François Xavier, and Northern Collegiate.

Under the new mapping, students, including elementary-aged children, are required to walk long distances along an unsupervised trail system that runs through a forested area with no house frontage, no street visibility, and no regular monitoring.

 
Why We Are Concerned

• Documented Safety Risks:  
  • The wooded area adjacent to the Rapids Parkway trail has seen recurring encampments; at present, the encampment is located in the forested area adjacent to the Howard Watson Trail behind Goodwill. On Thursday, September 18, firefighters responded to an uncontrolled fire at the encampment.
  • On September 19, 2025 an individual was arrested for sexual assault involving minor(s) in the area; the individual was released on bail. On September 22, 2025 the individual was rearrested on additional charges of sexual assault and sexual interference.
  • In June 2025, an individual was arrested for 6-counts of committing an indecent act and 2-counts of exposure to a minor for incidents spanning August 2024 - June 2025.
  • On June 30, 2024, a fire at an encampment in the forested area adjacent to the Howard Watson trail led to the arrest of an individual for breach of probation along with arson-related charges.
  • On May 31, 2024, three individuals were arrested for an incident on the Howard Watson Trail. Charges include assault causing bodily harm x 3, robery x 3, assault with a weapon x 3, carry a concealed weapon, dangerous weapons, and possession of property obtained by crime.
  • UPDATE: Since this petition was released, the indivudal charged with indecent exposure exposure to minor and committing an indecent act was rearrested on September 28, 2025 for violating the terms of his release, as he was found in proximity to a prohibited area.
• No Safe Sightlines: The trails lack adequate lighting, visibility, or neighbourhood watch coverage, leaving children vulnerable and unseen in the event of an unsafe interaction.
• High School Risks: High school students walking from Wiltshire to St. Patrick’s and from Rapids/Wiltshire to Northern Collegiate are placed in unsafe situations, particularly during early morning hours and dark winter months, where they will be travelling the unlit path prior to sunrise. In these conditions, students cannot monitor or be aware of their surroundings and potential dangers. 

As parents and residents, we cannot accept that children are expected to travel these routes unsupervised.

 
Our Request

We respectfully call on the school board and / or city authorities to:

• Reinstate bus service for the affected Wiltshire/Rapids neighbourhood students required to use the Howard Watson trail as their route to school, OR
• Provide community resource officers to monitor the trail during student commute times and ensure children are safely accompanied and supervised along the route before and after school.
• Install adequate lighting to ensure visibility

This is not simply a matter of convenience; this is about preventing harm before it happens. Our children deserve to feel safe on their way to and from school.

 
Join Us

Please add your name to this petition to show the school board that our community will not compromise on student safety. Together, we can ensure that no child is left vulnerable on an unsafe route to school.