The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is calling for better student safety following a school bus rollover that involved families from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation on January 13, 2026. The crash involved a Sapotaweyak Education Authority bus carrying 14 high‑school students and an adult driver.
The bus flipped over on Highway 10 about 13 kilometres south of Mafeking after the driver lost control while attempting to pass another bus on icy roads. Emergency crews assessed everyone at the scene and transported the 15 people to Swan Valley Health Centre; four people — three students and one adult — suffered “significant but non‑life‑threatening” injuries and were later airlifted to hospitals in Winnipeg. Officials said there were no fatalities.
Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said the AMC is monitoring the situation and standing with local leadership. In its Jan. 13 statement the AMC expressed sympathy for the children and families and thanked first responders, health‑care workers and school staff who attended to the students.
The crash has renewed debate in Manitoba about school‑bus safety, including calls to consider mandatory seatbelts on buses. Swan Valley School Division, Shared Health and Prairie Mountain Health mobilized counsellors and set up a family room at Swan Valley Health Centre to provide mental‑health supports for students and families affected by the rollover.
Local leaders also highlighted hazardous winter driving conditions on northern highways and called for more consistent sanding and plowing of provincial roads to help prevent similar accidents in future.
