'In for the long haul': First Nation hops aboard Thompson bus line to better service north

A Manitoba First Nation and northern bus line are joining forces to help bring better access to transportation service for remote communities in the wake of Greyhound pulling out of the business last year.

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), also known as Nelson House, now owns 51 per cent of Thompson Bus and Freight, said Chief Marcel Moody.

"It's an exciting opportunity," Moody said over the phone on Monday after the announcement. "We're in for the long haul, and hopefully the business does well, and hopefully we can provide the service our people need."

The newly-restructured company plans to expand services and has changed its name to NCN Thompson Bus and Freight, said Moody.

Prior to the name change, Thompson Bus and Freight, Highway 6 Express and Maple Bus Lines emerged in the north after Greyhound withdrew all western Canadian operations last fall.

'Fill that void'

Greyhound cited competition from low-cost airlines, subsidized bus services and a 41 per cent drop in ridership since 2010 among its list of reasons for getting out of the business.

"We want to fill that void that was left by Greyhound," said Moody.

"Northern Manitobans particularly, Aboriginal people, don't have the resources to get back and forth to Winnipeg, and I think it provides that opportunity for us to provide a reliable service for our people."

Moody hopes the company can expand service to Leaf Rapids, Lynn Lake and his community soon.

Since last fall, Thompson Bus and Freight has been providing freight and passenger trips from Thompson to Winnipeg, Cross Lake, Gillam and communities along the way including Fox Lake.

The company has only run freight to Snow Lake, The Pas and Flin Flon, but co-owner Sid Varma said the plan is to extend passenger service to those and other communities along each route in the near future.

Thompson training school

And there's another big thing on the horizon for the new company.

Varma said NCN Thompson Bus and Freight hopes to open a Thompson training school for anyone seeking Class 1, 2 or 3 driver licences, which includes semi-trailers, water and gravel trucks, ambulances, school and other buses. The hope is to have that up and running by the end of the year, he said.

As for why the relatively new company decided to team up with a First Nation just months after hitting the scene, Varma said it was in the best long-term interest of the company.

"We wanted to add a partner that can add a lot of value to it, so NCN is bringing that value," said Varma. "We have a life expectancy, but a nation will be staying forever."

Varma said Nelson House already has the bona fides to suggest it would be a good ally. The Cree nation runs a set of businesses — including gas stations, hotels, restaurants, grocery markets and a retail cannabis store in Thompson.

Chief Moody said he is eager to enter the burdgeoning northern bus market and take on the competition.

The bus line also diversifies NCN's economic portfolio and will bring needed jobs and training to First Nations in the north, he said.

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