This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and Standard Bus Yukon.
The Government of Yukon and Standard Bus Yukon are working together to improve school bus communications and minimize service disruptions students and families may have experienced this school year as a result of cold weather and snowstorms. Our goal is to restore reliability and confidence in the student transportation service.
Standard Bus Yukon continues to work on improvements, including sending regular updates about school bus cancellations and delays, making mechanical changes so new buses can handle extreme cold and hiring more staff. The Government of Yukon and Standard Bus Yukon will pilot live school bus tracking on a few routes, possibly this spring.
Detailed information on the measures being taken by the Department of Education and Standard Bus Yukon can be found in the backgrounder.
Our government has heard from Yukoners that improvements to school bus services are needed. I am pleased to share an update on the collaborative work between department officials and Standard Bus Yukon to bring solutions forward to better serve Yukon students and families. We will continue to work together to strengthen and modernize services and related communications.
Student safety and our commitment to getting students to class on time daily is central to everything we do at Standard Bus Yukon. We have also heard clearly that families have been frustrated with service interruptions they have experienced this past fall and early winter. I am pleased to share that we have been working diligently with the Yukon Department of Education’s team of dedicated directors in finding better solutions that will streamline service and most importantly communications for families. I encourage all families to join me in thanking our dedicated drivers, mechanics and operational staff who continue to serve the community tirelessly under severe operational conditions.
-
Approximately 2,800 students in the Yukon rely on school bus transportation during the school year.
-
14 new buses were added to the fleet for the 2025–26 school year to improve reliability and meet updated emissions standards. Mechanical upgrades have been made to ensure performance in extreme cold conditions down to -40°C.
-
Recruitment efforts have increased the number of active school bus drivers, with free training offered to new hires. Standard Bus is also offering a $2,000 sign-on bonus for qualified school bus drivers and a $1,000 bonus for any new driver wanting to train to become a school bus driver. Some conditions apply.
-
The Government of Yukon and Standard Bus Yukon are committed to providing a respectful and safe workplace for all employees. While most interactions with the public are positive, some inappropriate verbal and written communications have raised concerns. Both organizations are taking action and will introduce changes in the coming weeks to better support employees.
Notifications of route cancellations
Currently, notification of school bus route cancellations happens in four ways each morning.
- A School Messenger is emailed to school bus families by 6:45 am, providing a snapshot of cancellations at that time.
- The My School Bus Monitor website is updated in real-time.
- Standard Bus Yukon posts cancellations to their Facebook page throughout the day.
- Families can text “Bus” to 867-667-7891, CKRW The Rush, to receive an auto-response with that day’s cancellations listed.
The Government of Yukon and Standard Bus Yukon are working to improve how families receive timely and accurate information about school bus cancellations and delays. We have implemented standard operating procedures to provide consistent notifications across all channels. Going forward, My School Bus Monitor will serve as the primary source for real-time updates and supplemental Department of Education emails will be phased out once the notification methods are fully stabilized.
Extreme cold temperature operations
Standard Bus Yukon maintains a modern fleet of buses and has added 14 new school buses for the 2025–26 school year.
Newer diesel buses use a pollution control system that relies on diesel exhaust fluid to reduce emissions. Diesel exhaust fluid can freeze at temperatures below -11°C if not kept warm by the running engine. During periods of extreme cold, frozen diesel exhaust fluid has been a significant contributor to bus service challenges. To address this, all buses are now equipped with auxiliary Wabasto heaters. These heaters warm the engine coolant and circulate heat to the diesel exhaust fluid tank, preventing freezing and improving reliability in cold weather.
Standard Bus Yukon has also installed higher-quality battery blankets on every bus and all buses are equipped with engine block heaters. Together, these upgrades allow buses to operate reliably in temperatures as cold as -40°C. However, if the temperature dips below -40°C, winter diesel fuel can begin to fail and mechanical issues may occur. Extreme cold can also affect employees’ ability to start their personal vehicles and get to work. These challenges are not unique to school buses; for example there can be similar impacts on long-haul trucking.
School bus driver recruitment and onboarding
Standard Bus Yukon continues to recruit new school bus drivers this school year. They are improving the onboarding process to ensure that new bus drivers are set up for success from day one.
Know someone who would be a great bus driver? Anyone who loves giving back to the community and enjoys having evenings, weekends and holidays off is encouraged to learn more and apply. Standard Bus Yukon is pleased to offer new recruits training at no cost. Yukoners can learn more and apply to be a bus driver by visiting the Standard Bus website.
Live school bus tracking app pilot project
In the spring, the Government of Yukon and Standard Bus Yukon will explore the viability of piloting a live school bus tracking app on two selected routes. As part of this work, we are ensuring the project aligns with privacy requirements and best practices. If implemented, the app will allow families to track their child’s school bus in real time, providing greater convenience and peace of mind. Feedback from this pilot will help determine whether the app can be expanded to additional routes in the future.
Tim Kucharuk
Press Secretary, Cabinet Communications
867-335-2419
[email protected]
Julie Ménard
Communications, Education
837-336-0653
[email protected]
Greg Tysowski
Communications, Standard Bus Yukon
403-801-5967
[email protected]