Ontario Northland launches scheduled bus service between Thunder Bay, White River, Winnipeg
Service east of Thunder Bay begins May 17, western service starts May 18 with stops in Kenora, Dryden
The Ontario government announced Thursday it is launching two new bus routes to help people in the northwest access jobs, education opportunities and medical care.
The scheduled inter-community bus service will be provided by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), the province stated in a written release.
Beginning May 17, the ONTC will offer three return trips per week between Thunder Bay and White River.
Then on May 18, it will start twice-weekly return trips along Highway 17 between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, with stops in Dryden, Kenora, the Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg and the University of Winnipeg.
People in northwestern Ontario "deserve access to safe and reliable transportation that connects them to employment opportunities, medical appointments and other essential services," stated Caroline Mulroney, minister of transportation.
Much of northwestern Ontario has been without consistent bus service since Greyhound pulled out of western Canada in Oct. 2018.
Kasper Transportation had been offering scheduled bus service from White River to Thunder Bay, and on to Winnipeg via Sioux Lookout, but the company suspended operations in Ontario and Manitoba on May 2, citing a decrease in revenue due to COVID-19.
The company also provided freight and charter services across the province, with depots in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, as well as stops in over 40 locations across Ontario and Manitoba.
The ONTC is an agency of the provincial government.
Oversight of the commission was transferred from the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines to the Ministry of Transportation on April 1, in order to centralize the oversight of government agencies delivering public transit.