Some parents and guardians are concerned about safety at the drop-off area outside Yellowknife’s École Allain St-Cyr and William McDonald School.
École Allain St-Cyr serves students from kindergarten to Grade 12 while William McDonald School is for grades 6-8.
Parents who spoke with Cabin Radio and responded to a petition said they are most concerned about younger students aged three and up.
The petition was started by Eugene Foisy, whose child attends the school. He said École Allain St-Cyr has 130 students aged three to nine who “are the most vulnerable.”
“These younger students face the highest risks due to their age and limited ability to navigate and manage chaotic traffic situations safely,” Foisy stated.
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He told Cabin Radio: “I’m afraid it’s going to get to the point where someone’s going to get really hurt, and that’s what’s going to cause the change. And I’m trying to avoid that, trying to create change now before someone gets injured.”
Francois Afane, another parent, said the situation was “a nightmare, just not well organized.”
Parents have described congestion and confusion outside the schools, which share an access road, during drop-off and pickup times.
“The drop-off is always jammed in the morning, to the point it will block traffic,” Afane said.
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The petition highlights a perceived lack of safe and clearly marked crossing zones, the increased risk of collisions, and inefficient traffic low as concerns.
“Despite the efforts of staff to manage traffic flow, the situation remains unsafe,” Foisy wrote in a statement accompanying the petition.
“Staff members face daily safety risks due to dangerous driver behaviour and lack of compliance with informal guidelines, highlighting the urgent need for a permanent and systemic solution.”
Approached multiple times for this article, the superintendents of the YK1 and CSFTNO school systems did not provide comment.
