Ottawa is looking into alternatives to fill the transportation void in rural Canada following the announcement by Greyhound that it is withdrawing its bus service in western Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that he has asked federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau to find solutions following Greyhound's withdrawal of bus services. Greyhound announced last week that it is cutting passenger and delivery services in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, northwestern Ontario and rural British Columbia.
Prime Minister Trudeau said Greyhound's move is difficult for people who live in the prairies and for those who are struggling economically.
“I have asked our minister of transport to work with the provinces, to work with communities, to work with the company to try and see what paths forward there are,” said the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau would not rule out offering subsidies to keep bus services running or offer an alternative.
The issue of transportation along a notorious stretch of B.C.'s Highway 16 — known as the Highway of Tears — was a major point of contention last fall during hearings at the national inquiry for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
“We of course continue to be extremely concerned by the challenge of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, that's why we launched the national public inquiry into the issue,” said Prime Minister Trudeau on Tuesday. “We of course are reflecting on that element of it and looking for how we can contribute to solutions.”
