Shutdown of northern Manitoba bus service leaves many without way to access care, say community leaders

The impending shuttering of a bus company has northern Manitobans concerned many residents who rely on it to access critical services will be left in the lurch.

Mahihkan Bus Lines will cease operations on Sept. 6, the bus and freight services company announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday. The last day to send out parcels will be Sept. 4.

Mahihkan's buses ran between Winnipeg and Flin Flon, and Winnipeg–Thompson five days a week. In the post, the company said it was forced to shut down despite its "best efforts to sustain our business operations."

It cited "ongoing market volatility, inflationary pressures and challenging economic circumstances" as the reasons it had to make a difficult decision.

The Pas Mayor Andre Murphy said the announcement "came out of the blue."

"We need to do something about this, because we can't have this service leave the north," he said, noting The Pas is about a six-hour drive from any major city centre.

"Our people travel to southern Manitoba, to Winnipeg, to Brandon, to Dauphin and other centres to get care."

Mahihkan Bus Lines — previously known as Kelsey Bus Lines 2014 — was established in 2019, filling a void left by Greyhound Canada, which quit the region in late 2018.

CBC News has reached out to the company for comment.

Murphy said whatever the economics of the business may be, having no bus service in northern Manitoba is "just not feasible."

"Whether we need to have other supports come in or other financial systems in place to support this service, northern Manitoba and The Pas cannot not have a bus service."

No alternative

The service is a necessity for those who don't have another option, said Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine, calling the shutdown "devastating."

The company is owned by six First Nations from the north, including Mosakahiken Cree Nation, a community about 60 kilometres east of The Pas.

Elaine Munro, who used to work with Mosakahiken's health authority, said patients and nurses rely on the bus service to get to and from the community.

About 15 to 20 Mosakahiken residents have to go to Winnipeg for medical appointments every week, she said.

"Somebody's going to have to set up a meeting with the government ... and ask for another vehicle and figure out how to get the patients to and from, because not everybody is going to be able to get on a plane," Munro said.

It also takes time to process and arrange air transportation and that that may be backed up without a travel alternative, she said.

"The health team out there are working diligently trying to catch up on so many appointments that were backed up from COVID. Now this one will be our own different chaos," she said.

"There's going to be people from The Pas and [Opaskwayak Cree Nation] affected, there's going to be people in the Flin Flon area affected."