Despite being aware of two separate fires and a bus full of smoke, Transport Canada only launched an investigation of comprehensive defects on a model of manufactured school buses from León earlier this month, following a third fire.
The investigation occurs nine months after a Lionc model bus caught fire for the first time.
The investigation of the department was launched after one of the buses caught fire in the coastal neighborhood of Costa-Des-Neiges on September 9. The five children on board and the school bus driver were not damaged.
A spokesman for the city’s fire service said the driver had just turned on the heating system and noticed that the smoke left the vents. He stopped and took the children to a safe place before the flames consumed the vehicle.
The fire led the province to Stop the service of 1,200 school buses in Lion Throughout Quebec, waiting for “preventive inspections.”
After this, Lion buses were based on an inspection in several provinces in Canada.
“Our defect research is still ongoing and includes vehicle inspections, continuous commitment to the manufacturer and vehicle fleets, and the review of emerging data,” Canada Transport wrote to CBC News in an email.
But CBC News learned that the department was already aware of three previous incidents that involved the Lionc school bus model, dating from November 2024 and all significant fires or smoke, but did not launch an investigation of formal defects until this month.
“Totally unacceptable,” said Katherine Korakakis, president of the Association of the English Parent Committee of Quebec.
“I am surprised that they would not have acted beforehand. And thank God the aligned stars and nobody hurt, but there are too many close calls.”
3 previous incidents
The first incident occurred in Ascot Corner, which, on November 26, 2024. As reported by Radio-Canada at that timeFirefighters said the fire began in the vehicle heating system. The driver was able to leave the bus made of León in time, and there were no students on board.
Then, in Brossard, that., On January 8, 2025, there was another problem with a Lionc bus that, according to Transport Canada, “involved an electrical component overheating and producing significant smoke, which led the driver to stop the vehicle.”
“After the vehicle closed and cut the electric energy, the smoke decreased.”
Less than a week later, on January 13, 2025, another Lionc school bus caught fire shortly after breaking Huntsville, Ontario. More than 70 students were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
All these incidents occurred within a period of 49 days, and all affected the same vehicle model of the same manufacturer: the Lionc school bus.
Lion will not reveal the actions taken after fires
The Canada Transport Defects research focuses on the three previous events, and Montreal’s this month, but only launched as a result of the most recent fire.
The department has confirmed CBC News that it knew about those previous incidents, but the information did not originally come from the manufacturer.
“Transport Canada realized the events through the Public Complaints Program, which allows consumers, fleet operators, police, lifeguards and the public to inform possible security defects,” the department wrote in an email.
“Transport Canada began its own analysis of each event, with the cooperation of Lion, after realizing these events.”
CBC News asked the bus manufacturer, Lion, what actions the company took after these first three incidents.
In a Syrus response, a consulting firm that handles relationships with the media on behalf of the manufacturer, Lion refused to answer that question.
“We remain completely committed to Transport Canada as your research continues, and we will continue to take the necessary measures to guarantee the safety and reliability of our school buses,” wrote a spokesman in an email.
Meanwhile, the transport of Canada Defect research notice Call the operators of the fleet to perform immediate inspections of their Lionc buses.
He also advises bus drivers that if “they see smoke or smell something burning, stop the bus in a safe place, evacuate everyone and, if safe, turn off high voltage feeds and 12 volts.”
Andrew Jones, owner of Transport Scolaire Elite and Bus Beaconsfield, believes that fleet operators with Lionc buses should have been alerted before.
“The notes we receive the weekend after this [Montreal] Fire, I would have appreciated to receive them long before, “Jones said.” I don’t know a single operator who wouldn’t have taken it seriously. “
When should defect research be launched?
Transport Canada says that it analyzes the “public complaints related to the safety of motor vehicles”, such as the department received about Lionc buses in the last nine months.
“When the information indicates a potential trend that involves a vehicle security problem, Transport Canada initiates a defect investigation to determine if there is a security defect,” the department added in a statement to CBC News.
“What else do you need?” Korakakis said in response. “I see the trend, and it’s not even my job to do this.”
“I think it’s just speaking and not assuming responsibility.”
We asked Transport Canada if, even the most recent fire on September 9, the department determined that there was no information that aimed a “potential trend” with Lionc buses.
“To better understand certain problems, Transport Canada can start a formal defect investigation,” wrote a Canada Transport spokesman.
“While exact root causes of the three school bus fires and an overheating event remain undetermined due to the extension of the damage, there were points in common among the incidents,” the department added. “All incidents originated in the board area and seem related to the heating and ventilation system.”
“As a result, Transport Canada launched formal defects after the most recent incident.”
Manufacturers must act urgently: Minister of Transportation
CBC News requested an interview with the Federal Minister of Transportation Steven Mackinnon to discuss the incidents of lion School bus, as well as the transport response of Canada.
The minister was not available for an interview, but his office offered written answers to our questions.
With regard to school buses, we ask if manufacturers should be more proactive when informing security incidents to transport Canada, and if regulatory changes are needed for that to happen.
We also ask if Transport Canada should be more proactive to initiate defect research for school buses.
“These incidents underline the importance of the duty of manufacturers to quickly inform any security defect. The minister believes that this duty is crucial to guarantee the safety of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to school buses,” wrote the Mackinnon office.
“The minister expects vehicle manufacturers to deal with all incidents with maximum gravity and urgency.”
CBC News asked Lion if he notified the government and the bus owners a possible security defect after the first two Lionc fires. The company did not respond.
“In the future, if there are other problems with the vehicle, it would be good to know of them in advance,” Jones said.
“What we must do is make sure that manufacturers are responsible for high security standards,” he added. “We are not in the business of putting the lives of people in danger here.”
