脡cole North OysterB次元官网网址檚 Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is calling for greater road safety measures after all after hours school activities, including the annual Christmas concert, were cancelled this year after a serious incident last winter.

The school is situated on the often busy Cedar Road and last year a child was clipped, but escaped serious injury, while exiting a vehicle to attend a holiday function in the evening.

Now, the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District has suspended all after dark activities at the school.

The PAC has responded by launching a petition asking that the Ministry of Transportation to install street lights and widen the road, among a list of other suggestions.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been working with the District who has been working with MOT to try and find a solution and itB次元官网网址檚 almost been a year now and no one has figured out the solution so we decided that maybe we needed to take a different route,B次元官网网址� said PAC chair Candice McLean.

While daytime events such as the Remembrance Day ceremony were permitted, other events such as movie nights, dances and the holiday Christmas concert were removed off the calendar.

B次元官网网址淭he one thing that North Oyster really has going for them is their school community and that community really stretches from Saltair to Nanaimo,B次元官网网址� McLean said. B次元官网网址淭hey want to have their events at their school. Children want to show their parents their art on the bulletin boards, where they get to sit an assemblyB次元官网网址�. itB次元官网网址檚 really sad that weB次元官网网址檙e not able to have that community piece at our school due to lighting.B次元官网网址�

When 脡cole Davis Road closed in 2014, students were amalgamated into Ecole North Oyster and the student population then ballooned from 90 to now over 340.

In 2014, District staff, in partnership with the North Oyster PAC, held meetings and discussed plans for the corridor in front of the school.

A request was made to the MOT and CVRD to install street lighting, put in flashing lights on the existing crosswalk, install an additional crosswalk on the other side of the school from the existing crosswalk, install additional school zone signage, widen road shoulders on both sides of Cedar Road and lower the surrounding speed limit from 60km to 50km/h.

These demands form the bulk of the PACB次元官网网址檚 petition which has garnered over 600 signatures on Change.org.

B次元官网网址淭hat is a dark, dark road. People fly down that road,B次元官网网址� McLean said. B次元官网网址淓ven in the daytime when IB次元官网网址檓 dropping off my children, people are hauling down that road in a school zone.B次元官网网址�

According to the MOT, however, the traffic in front of North Oyster doesnB次元官网网址檛 meet the threshold for a flashing crosswalk.

Dale Burgos, the school districtB次元官网网址檚 executive director of communications said SD68 B次元官网网址渦nderstands the reason for the PACB次元官网网址檚 need to petition the government for increased safety on the road around 脡cole North Oyster Elementary as it has been known to be a safety concern.B次元官网网址�

However, none of the projects would be funded or managed by the district because itB次元官网网址檚 outside SD68B次元官网网址檚 jurisdiction.

B次元官网网址淭he PACB次元官网网址檚 request for items such as flashing lights, increased signage, widening shoulders, or adjustment to the speed limit on the public road on which our school sits would be installed on public property not managed by the district. Funding and installation for these enhancements would have to come from our government partners. The district is open to revisiting these options with the CVRD and the Ministry of Transportation,B次元官网网址� Burgos added.

The future of evening events at North Oyster remains uncertain and PAC vice chair Kristi Wright notes that in all cases they want to be inclusive as possible.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of us our working parents and unfortunately the time we have to give to this is at nighttime,B次元官网网址� Wright said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 other working parents out there that canB次元官网网址檛 be involved in these activities when they really want to be a part of it.B次元官网网址�

In place of the Christmas concert this year the school plans to hold a winter activity during the day.