A Thunder Bay bus operator wants to make inroads into northeastern Ontario on the heels of the province's decision to divest itself of the bus and rail assets of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC).
Sandy Smith, owner of Caribou Coach, has concerns about how the divestment process will work since a provincially-appointed interim board has provided no public direction on how Northern communities will continue to be connected with bus service.
Caribou Coach provides scheduled service on the Highway 11 corridor between Thunder Bay and Hearst, often picking up ONTC bus passengers to continue their journey west.
“The potential loss of a service such as this has far reaching implications for the communities in Ontario's North,” said Smith in a news release. “The residents of the communities serviced by Ontario Northland are well within their right be upset by this decision. Any disruption in service will have rippling effects for bus patrons across the province from the travelling public, to those who depend on the reliability of freight services.”
Smith said Northern carriers like his know the geography and demographics of the North unlike the Toronto-based carrier who are “looking for a quick buck rather than a sound solution.”
Smith has posted an online petition on his company's website (www.cariboucoach.ca) to rally public support to maintain bus service to Northern communities.