The Province of B.C. is supporting the Walking School Bus program, which provides supervised walks to schools for elementary children in select communities, helping them start their day off with fresh air and exercise.

“Walking to school offers a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to connect with their community,” said Ravi Parmar, MLA for Langford-Highlands, on behalf of Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. “I’m excited to see this program expand in many parts of the province, especially in the community where I grew up. It’s rewarding to know that students in Langford and other communities in B.C. will benefit from this initiative, helping them develop healthy habits and safer ways to commute.”  

In partnership with the Society for Children and Youth of BC, this program gives more communities in B.C. the chance to get their kids to school without a vehicle. The program is available to students in Langford, Sooke, Nanaimo, Esquimalt, Saanich and Central Saanich. It will expand to other areas.

Children learn safe commuting skills and build healthy habits with the Walking School Bus. The program provides paid leaders and volunteers with the essential training to safely lead a group of students to and from their homes and schools. The program will also include a Biking School Bus in some participating communities. Trained cycling leaders from HUB Cycling will bike with groups of students to and from school.

More than 350 children have participated in similar Walking School Bus programs in B.C. The program offers new communities the funding and tools needed to get their students to and from school safely.

“After a successful pilot in Metro Vancouver in partnership with the Province and TransLink, we are thrilled to be working with the Province to help more children across British Columbia develop active travel habits through our Walking School Bus program,” said Stephanie Howell, executive director, Society for Children and Youth of BC. “The program will also include bike buses led by our new partners at HUB Cycling, who we are excited to have on board. We look forward to promoting safe routes to school and independent mobility for all.”

The B.C. government has invested $1.1 million to support 15 schools in B.C. as they offer their elementary students a supervised walk to school.