Huu-ay-aht First Nations has a new set of wheels.
At last year’s People’s Assembly, citizens expressed a desire to have a school bus for Huu-ay-aht students travelling to and from the Bamfield Community School. On Thursday, November 20, a 22-passenger bus rolled up to the Port Alberni Government Office and Huu-ay-aht received the keys to their new bus.
Citizens wanted a real school bus for students because the Huu-ay-aht van that is being used currently to transport students is used for a number of different purposes.
Every morning, seven Huu-ay-aht youth are transported to the community school in Bamfield. The new bus offers all of the bells and whistles needed to get the youth to school safely every day. It is equipped with a stop sign, flashing lights and a safety bar that keeps students visible to the bus driver and others on the road.
The funds for the new bus was planned for in the 2014 budget under Capital Projects. The bus will be used chiefly for transporting students, but because it is a private school bus it can also be used when needed by the Nation for other transportation needs.