UVic says it has implemented recommendations after fatal bus crash near Bamfield
The University of Victoria says it has met all the recommendations put forth in the wake of a 2019 bus crash that killed two students and injured several others during a field trip to a remote Vancouver Island marine science centre.
A coach bus carrying 45 students and two teaching assistants slid off a logging road between Port Alberni and Bamfield on Sept. 13, 2019. The crash claimed the lives of Emma Machado, 18, of Winnipeg, and John Geerdes, 18, of Iowa.
An independent consultant was hired and developed 43 recommendations for the school to follow during future field trips to the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.
The university said Wednesday it has implemented all of the recommendations except for those that involve visiting the marine centre, which has been closed to field trips during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our community will never forget what happened,” said UVic president Kevin Hall in a statement Wednesday. “We’ve learned so much over these past years and we’re grateful to those who have been closely involved in the review process and implementation of the recommendations.”
Hall said the university is “doing everything we can to prevent an accident like this from ever happening again.”
Among the recommendations in the consultant’s report are the development of new emergency response protocols for off-campus events and the continued advocacy for safety improvements to the Bamfield Main Road.
The university has released a final report on its work to implement the recommendations.
Last September, the province and the Huu-ay-aht First Nation signed an agreement to spend $30 million to upgrade the road where the crash occurred.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals in labour dispute with workers
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
Measles cases in New Brunswick more than double in three days
A measles outbreak declared in New Brunswick’s Zone 3 last week, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley, has more than doubled since last week.
Prison sentences handed down for sexually abusive London, Ont. parents
In handing down the sentences for two London parents, Justice Thomas Heeney told the court, "The facts of this case were the most egregious that I have encountered during my 26 years on the bench."
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
Surprise swing state? Iowa poll has Harris suddenly leading
Based on victories in the past two elections and polls leading up to Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump had seemed almost certain to win Iowa, but a new poll has Kamala Harris with a sudden three-point lead.
Russia suspected of sending incendiary devices on US- and Canada-bound planes, Wall Street Journal reports
Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials.