Greyhound cuts to have major impact on B.C. passengers
'It's pretty shocking, because it's a service that a lot of people ... rely on in remote communities'
The news that Greyhound Canada is planning to cut all of its routes west of Sudbury, Ont., is leaving B.C. passengers in shock, wondering how they're going to get around the province.
The buses stop at 61 communities across B.C., reaching some out-of-the-way places without airports or other ways to travel, but the company announced on Monday that everything it does in the province will end Oct. 31.
The one exception is the Vancouver-Seattle route operated by Greyhound Canada's U.S. counterpart.
"It's pretty shocking, because it's a service that a lot of people — a lot of Canadians — rely on in remote communities," said Jessica Westman, a passenger about to travel on the bus from Kelowna to Nelson on Monday. "This is definitely going to be a lot more challenging."
Bryan Madsen was also departing from the Kelowna terminal, and said there's not other way for him to get to his destination in Trail.
"For the low-income people, it's the only way they can get around," said Madsen. "We use it a fair bit in the Kootenays, because we don't have rail and all there is is planes. They don't land a lot there."
Juan Serrano was travelling by bus on Monday from Vancouver to Kamloops where he lives when he learned about the service cuts.
"It's really a shame. It's the only service that we have as students there; we can't afford a car yet," said Serrano, adding that he'll have to turn to ride-sharing apps in the future.
For Nicholas Secreto who travels from Vancouver to Kamloops by bus several times each year. The news came as a big surprise.
"It goes back to hitchhiking then? They're going to have to cancel the laws that prevent us from hitchhiking in the city because there's no other [expletive] way to get up there," said Secreto.
Job losses
Peter Hamel, Greyhound's regional vice president for Western Canada, said staff is also in a state of shock after learning of the company's decision.
"This is something that is not insignificant. In B.C. We've been operating since 1929," said Hamel, adding that 415 workers, including drivers, mechanics, terminal staff and management in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will lose their jobs.
He said the company has run deficits in the western provinces since 2004, and there are no profitable routes in Western Canada.
"That's the argument that we've been making [to the government]. This is the message that we've been trying to communicate this year and for five years — that no private sector company can be sustainable in these markets, in these regions, without some sort of assistance."
But B.C.'s transportation minister, Claire Trevena, said in a written statement that the company had not been in touch with her or her staff about the decision to end all of its routes in the province.
"Greyhound's decision to completely eliminate service in Western Canada by Oct. 31, 2018, is hugely problematic for people who depend on Greyhound in the Interior, Sea-to-Sky, and to get to and from Alberta," said Trevena.
"This move will leave people with limited options to get around, and this will likely impact the most vulnerable," she said.
Hamel said that passengers can expect "business as usual" right up until operations are shuttered at the end of October.
With files from Anita Bathe and Dominika Lirette
Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker
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