Thompson residents left with few options after bus service cancelled last year
Mayor says few people used service, northern Manitoba city doesn't have funding to restart it
A visually impaired woman says the City of Thompson needs to bring back its local transit service, which she says was vital for her and others who can't get around easily without it.
Michelle Bruneau can't drive because of her visual impairment. Right now, she relies on her husband to help her get around the city when he's off work, but otherwise has to take taxis, which can cost over $25 per ride.
"To spend $25 just to go for coffee at the mall just seems not feasible, especially in these harder economic times," Bruneau told CBC News.
Thompson, with a population of just over 13,000, has been without local transit service since the summer of 2024, after the city suspended its contract with the previous operator because the buses couldn't stand up to the harsh winter conditions in the northern Manitoba city.
Bruneau said the impact of losing the bus service was profound for her. It's left her feeling shut out of society, and trying to find new ways to make connections, she said.
She runs a small craft business from home, but wishes she could work a better-paying job. She has worked at retail stores in the city previously and commuted by bus, but now, she'd have to find a job that fits around her husband's schedule.
"The stars have to align for me to find an 8:30 to 4:30 job. And sometimes my husband works out of town, so even that's not a sure thing to get a ride," she said.
WATCH | Loss of transit service leaves some residents struggling to get around northern city:
Bruneau uses a white cane to help her get around on foot, but that isn't feasible for making long trips across town, she said, since she still can't see potholes on the road.
"I know Thompson, everyone says you're five minutes from wherever you need to go, but five minutes when you can't see is a long time," said Bruneau.
Low ridership: mayor
But Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook said the previous transit system wasn't well used, especially outside of peak times. While seniors and students used it, few others relied on it, she said.
"The average day might see four to five people on a bus in a day. It definitely wasn't a well utilized system. It was very costly," she said.
She said the city also doesn't currently have the funding to restart the old service. It's waiting for a grant or some other means of funding, but she said the city is also considering alternatives to a full transit service.
Penny Byer, the co-ordinator for the Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council, helps seniors find rides when she can. When she can't, they have to rely on cabs, of which only three in the city are equipped to handle wheelchairs.
"In an average week, I'd say we'd get maybe two or three [requests for rides]. And of those two or three, we can probably help people half the time," Byer said.
Without the bus service, which used to be free for seniors, many are left without a way to get around or meet with friends, leading to loneliness and lack of independence, she said.
"Taking away that bus service, especially if you don't have your own vehicle, that's like shooting you in the foot, almost," she said.
Bruneau hopes to see the transit system reinstated.
"There are a lot of people that need a bus," she said. "I know that the bus always doesn't pay for itself, but it's a necessity."
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