Sask. town's new shuttle vehicle among rural transportation projects funded in federal budget

Access to transportation will soon look a lot different for many living in small towns and First Nation communities in Saskatchewan.

The federal government announced a $6.1-million grant to support 11 public transport projects across rural Saskatchewan in the budget this week.

Ariel Haug, economic development officer for the town of Gravelbourg, Sask., said it can be tough to get from rural communities to the cities for appointments or other needs.

"If you're an older person and unable to drive, or if you have any other barriers to accessing transportation, then you have to rely on friends and family to get you somewhere," Haug said. "It's a huge barrier for wellness appointments."

Gravelbourg, location about 150 kilometres southwest of Regina, is one of 11 communities receiving this federal funding. The town has many amenities, including a hospital, but Haug said many seniors need to travel elsewhere for specialized medical appointments.

Gravelbourg received $85,683 toward a new vehicle for its local shuttle service and to construct a garage to house it. 

"It's easy for those moving into retirement and beyond to know that there is this kind of service for them if they need to seek additional specialized care in the city," said Haug. "It's also a benefit to young families and newcomers who also might not have access to the same kind of transportation."

The Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC), which offered bus service to many of the province's rural communities, closed in 2017. This left many people in remote areas with no public transportation.

"Ever since our provincial government got rid of the STC, folks who are not able to drive or can't afford to drive, now actually have an option again in our area," said Haug. "So that's an extremely wonderful thing."

Gravelbourg began looking at solutions in 2018. A group got together and set up a booth at one of the town's festivals, asking people who stopped by if they would benefit from a shuttle service in Gravelbourg. 

"We got over 100 signatures in just a couple of hours of people saying they definitely would use it," said Linda Roberts, the director of the Gravelbourg Cares Shuttle Service. "So we thought, OK, we can go ahead and start working on this."

The town of Gravelbourg donated $25,000 in 2018 to kickstart the service and fundraising continued in the years to come. By 2019, the town had enough money to purchase an eight-passenger van.

Now, with the new money from the federal government, the service has a new five-seat vehicle.

"This new hybrid is much easier on fuel and it gives us enough room to transport the people that we need to transport," said Roberts.

She said the service still plans to ask the federal government for more funding. Currently, gas is paid for by optional donations, and the service only has one paid employee and is otherwise run by volunteers.

Roberts said she hopes the service she helped create lives on in Gravelbourg for many years to come.

"It seems to be very rewarding to all of our volunteers. They feel that their time is very well spent helping people get to necessary medical appointments," said Roberts. "We hope that it lasts indefinitely."

The federal government says its Rural Transit Solution Fund is also placing an emphasis on First Nation communities, specifically helping people get to and from medical appointments. 

Montreal Lake Cree Nation, George Gordon First Nation and Cote First Nation, among others, will be receiving passenger vans for increased access in and out of nearby cities.

Some transportation projects throughout the province are already underway, while others are beginning in the coming months.