Quebec grounds 1,200 Lion electric buses for inspection after fire
Quebec has grounded its entire fleet of 1,200 Lion Electric school buses for inspection after a second bus from the manufacturer burst into flames in Montreal this week.
Quebec has grounded its entire fleet of 1,200 Lion Electric school buses for inspection after a second bus from the manufacturer burst into flames in Montreal this week.
The government announced the move Thursday evening, citing safety concerns after a bus burst into flames in Côte-des-Neiges on Tuesday morning. Several children and the driver escaped unharmed.
“Since the safety of Quebec schoolchildren is our top priority, we have taken the preventive decision to ground 1,200 school buses this Friday while transport companies carry out the necessary inspections,” Education Minister Sonia LeBel and Transport Minister Jonatan Julien said in a joint statement. “No compromises will be made when it comes to safety on school buses.”
Ministers added that inspections will take place through the weekend. They said alternative transportation will be offered to parents so children can get to school next week.
The fire broke out around 8 a.m. Tuesday near Jean-Talon Street West and Victoria Avenue. Montreal fire officials said the vehicle was a total loss, though they confirmed the blaze was not linked to the bus battery, according to CP24.
The sudden decision caused widespread disruptions for parents and students on Friday.
The English Montreal School Board cancelled 72 routes.
However, the school board confirmed that “all diesel (non-electric) buses will continue to operate as usual and will transport EMSB students without interruption.”
The Lester B. Pearson School Board — one of the largest school boards on the island of Montreal and one of nine English school boards in Quebec — similarly cancelled 55 bus routes Friday.
It said the cancellation was so the electric buses could “inspect their defrosting systems as a precautionary measure.”
Meanwhile, the Centre de services scolaire des Grandes-Seigneuries reported more than 50 cancelled routes.
The Riverside School Board on Montreal’s South Shore suspended both electric and diesel buses tied to Lion.
“Please note that this grounding was not a school board decision but was mandated across all school boards and school service centres to ensure safety,” said the Riverside School Board.
Quebec's decision follows a turbulent year for Lion Electric. The bus manufacturer filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year before being relaunched by investors. The company previously received nearly $200 million in taxpayer subsidies under Quebec's plan to make 65 per cent of school buses electric.
This week's Montreal fire marked the second time in 2025 that a Lion school bus ignited in service.
In January, students in Huntsville, Ontario, had to evacuate when a Lion bus became “completely engulfed in flames,” according to the local fire department.
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