As snow continues to blanket the Okanagan and drivers are being warned to be extra vigilant on the roads, a student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan is trying to make their way to campus from Lumby.
The student, who wished not to give their name due to concerns about future applications to grad school, must commute from the North Okanagan to Kelowna for their education.
Usually, travel to campus is not an issue for the student, however, with a snow warning in place, Wednesday’s drive made for a more treacherous commute.
Environment Canada is forecasting between 10 to 20 cm of snow for Wednesday accompanied by temperatures of -12 C.
Despite the snow warning UBC Okanagan has not cancelled classes.
The student emailed the lab assistant for alternative options and was told they could attend a lab on Thursday, Jan. 18 instead, but assignment deadlines can only be changed for medical purposes and failing to attend could impact their grade. The student has classes scheduled at the same time as the other labs and had no choice but to hit the road to Kelowna.
The 22-year-old left home before 4 p.m. for their 5:30 p.m. lab and is taking the roads extra slow.
“Lumby was fine, it was dry snow so it lifted. But Vernon’s pretty brutal… I’m sliding all over the place.”
They explained that the Vancouver campus made the decision Tuesday evening (Jan. 16) that classes would be moved online and students should check their emails for correspondence from professors. This student emailed their professors Wednesday morning to find some classes were moved online, but one professor emailed back to say there had been no directive from the school and he still planned for an in-person lesson.
“There are so many alternatives to get education across, especially since we’ve been through COVID and we’ve been through online access. So, on days like this where there are students that want an alternative to learn one simple lab technique, I think it’s crazy.”
Other UBCO students were also confused about what was taking place at the university during the snow warning, after BC Transit’s customer alert platform went offline on Jan.17, during the storm, preventing the company from sending updates via email. Riders were asked to check social media, leaving many folks in the dark as to what was happening for those to get to campus.
@ubcokanagan Will classes be continuing today? The bus is not running regularly and their portal is closed. Concerned about being stranded at/en route to school.
— Karen McCluskey (@ikarenmccluskey) January 17, 2024
UBCO does have a winter weather protocol which states, “While each snowfall event is different, generally if BC Transit is still running its regular service, public schools are still open, and no local travel safety notices are published by the City of Kelowna or the RCMP, it is reasonable to expect UBC Okanagan will maintain regularly scheduled classes.”
The official decision to cancel classes comes from the deputy vice-chancellor and principal and is to be posted on the home page of the university’s website. An advisory was posted to the home page regarding winter weather, but not in respect to on-campus classes.
The UBCO student will be in their lab for several hours before hitting the road back to Lumby in the dark and after more snow has fallen. Students from across the Okanagan and the Shuswap will have the same experience as UBCO has many commuters from across the region.
Black Press has reached out to a spokesperson with the university for comment.
READ MORE: City of Kelowna well prepared during first major snowfall of 2024