Some students are opposed to the new parking restrictions on 107th (Spartan) Street next to the high school. They feel it’s an added burden to students still suffering from the effects of the September 12 fire. Shown leaning on the railing where parking is now prohibited are, from right, Dalice Craik, Jessica Souto, Emily Nunes, and Franklin Thornton. Students expressed their concerns at Monday’s council meeting with the hope of getting the restrictions overturned.

by Lyonel Doherty

A number of students at SOSS feel the new parking restrictions on 107th Street is rubbing salt in their wounds.

Grade 12 student Jessica Souto said students feel like they are being punished with the new edict that prohibits parking along the west railing by the school.

No parking signs were erected after concerns were raised about student safety. Principal Cate Turner said they established the new rule to allow parents to pull in, have the kids get out, and then drive away. This is opposed to stopping in the middle of the street and having the kids get out on the road (because all the parking along the railing is taken up).

Turner said the new rule is only temporary until the new school is constructed with a proper parking lot. Until then, students have to park farther down on 107th by the school fields.

But Souto said it’s getting very cold and parking down by the fields is inconvenient for the students, considering what they’ve been through since the fire on September 12.

Souto said she doesn’t see a big issue with safety on 107th Street, noting that parents are still dropping off their kids in the middle of the street, which only takes a few seconds. She also noted there are crossing guards to help students across the street.

Fellow student Emily Nunes said they wouldn’t need the new parking rule if all motorists practiced safe driving.

“Some parents don’t respect school zones . . . the only people taking the signs seriously are students.”

What bothers Nunes the most about the parking issue is students have suffered enough – trying to focus in portables, having no lockers, and being cold. “This is another inconvenience which students see as unfair.”

She noted the signs don’t solve the problem, and she would prefer to see police presence in the area.

Franklin Thornton, another student, said he didn’t see a safety hazard before the new parking rule was established. “No lives were in danger . . . there were just reckless parents,” he said, noting that getting out of your car in that area is like playing “Russian roulette” sometimes.

Souto believes it’s more dangerous now because parents are not pulling directly off the road, which prompts other motorists to attempt driving around the stopped vehicles. She recalled almost being hit by one motorist who was drinking coffee while driving.

Oliver school trustee Tamela Edwards said the new parking arrangement was established out of necessity due to several dangerous situations that were frequently being witnessed by traffic supervisors and school administrators.

“People were dropping off their kids on the street as there was no where to pull over to do so. As well, kids were getting out of those same vehicles on both sides, and for those getting out in the middle of the road there was a risk of being hit by oncoming traffic.”

Edwards said she also witnessed the drivers that were behind these unloading vehicles get impatient and speed around them, narrowly missing students who were crossing the street.

School staff consulted the Town and the RCMP to come up with a solution, hence the new restrictions.

“Naturally, we feel badly for all the students at SOSS as they are dealing with so many inconveniences, but this was definitely not done to intentionally make their life more difficult, it was purely for their safety,” Edwards said.

Souto and Nunes brought their concerns to the Town on Monday and requested that council reconsider the no-parking rule.

Municipal Manager Tom Szalay admitted that the Town felt skeptical about erecting the new signs, but there was a lot of pressure to do so. He said if you restrict parking on one side of the street, you’ll get people parking on the other side. From the Town’s point of view, you’re just moving the problem somewhere else, Szalay said.

Nunes and Souto suggested a couple of solutions, including establishing a loading zone area on Spartan Street, and/or using the Catholic Church parking lot for drop-offs.

Councillor Linda Larson said she favours the designated zone where parents can drop off their children. But she encouraged the students to talk to the RCMP and the school Parents Advisory Council about their concerns. Nunes said they plan to attend the next meeting.

The other issue that was raised was the lack of storage lockers for SOSS students. Some pupils have resorted to using their cars to store their books and backpacks. Mayor Ron Hovanes expressed his concern about this.

Nunes said the school is bringing in some lockers, but they’re being auctioned off, so not every student is guaranteed a locker.

Hovanes said council will take the students’ parking concerns under consideration.