My last bus trip was exactly that — my last. I’d rather walk.
However, for many, inter-community bus travel is a necessity and for that reason the powers-that-be living in those ivory towers in Winnipeg opened up the public purse strings to pay the ransom Greyhound demanded late last year.
For those, like me, who have either the means or the aversion to forego bus travel, may not remember Greyhound holding Manitoba and northern Ontario bus travellers hostage.
In effect, they said, either the government was going to subsidize the private multinational company or they would cut Manitoba and northern Ontario routes.
As the corporate giant rightly strategized, the government caved and struck a deal, which then Transportation Minister Ron Lemieux said would be “less-than $4 million.”
New Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton announced in Mid-March that the Province of Manitoba will invest $3.12 million for a one-year service maintenance agreement with Greyhound to ensure passenger bus service remains active in Manitoba until a long-term solution is found.
Part of the long-term solution Ashton promised was to hold consultations to help communities develop options for the current inter-city bus network. He then said, starting in the spring, meetings will be held with key stakeholders in at least five rural and northern communities.
On May 12, 2010, Ashton’s second-in-command Doug McNeil mailed out the list of those communities.
Included on the list was Minnedosa, Thompson, The Pas, Swan River and Pine Falls.
In a letter to Neepawa council, McNeil beseeched councillors and mayor as well as this community to attend the Minnedosa meeting and make their views heard.
Problem is, they scheduled the Minnedosa meeting for May 26 and Neepawa didn’t get the letter until May 25.
“The attached letter was received in our office yesterday and brought to my attention today. As a result of late notification, I was unable to distribute this notification in time to allow anyone to plan to attend the Public Input Process scheduled for tonight in Minnedosa. I have written to the Minister and Deputy Minister regarding this concern and the lack of participation of Neepawa council or residents as a result.
“As this service is very important to rural communities, I urge you to send this to other community members and respond to the survey via the website listed or email the project team directly. All contact information is contained in the letter,” Allison Bardsley, Town of Neepawa CAO stated in a last-minute bulk e-mail — an e-mail that many in Neepawa didn’t receive until May 31.
Of course, if one wants to jump on a bus and head to Thompson, you have until — oh wait, you may need to book a jet — the Thompson meeting is today.
One has to be amazed with this idiotic scheduling. Of course, one could be more amazed if government officials actually did listen to the input.
Given how long this fiasco has been in the works and the stated importance of bus service ... Ashton and McNeil need to reschedule the meeting and this time give appropriate notice.
After all, some of us may need to take a bus to get to the meeting.