Dicey dilemma

District residents certainly were caught off-guard last week with word that Greyhound had applied to discontinue its bus service between Fort Frances and Thunder Bay effective May 4.
We’ve since learned that Greyhound did not comply with provisions under the Public Vehicles Act regarding its notification to discontinue the service, meaning the earliest the route could be cut is now sometime this summer.
But that merely delays the implementation date, not cancels it—leaving the very real possibility district residents will be left without a bus link to Thunder Bay just a few years after the run to Winnipeg was axed.
Reaction to the news has been swift. A petition already is circulating around town and being well-received, according to one concerned citizen. As well, the Rainy River District Municipal Association’s board met Thursday night to discuss the issue and plans to bring it to the floor of the Northern Ontario Municipal Association meeting coming up April 16-18 in Thunder Bay.
While it’s clear district residents and leaders aren’t willing to take this lying down, just what should be done about it is much murkier.
Are we asking the provincial government to deny Greyhound’s application, or are we suggesting taxpayers’ money be used to subsidize a service many describe as “vital,” especially to students, the elderly, and those seeking medical attention in Thunder Bay, even though Greyhound says ridership on the route is down almost 20 percent?
Are we willing to accept the inconvenience of fewer runs to and from Thunder Bay, and perhaps pay higher fares, to keep the service cost-effective for Greyhound or another operator that may step in—much the same way Excel Bus Lines started a run between Fort Frances and Kenora so district residents had the option of catching the bus there into Winnipeg?
There’s no question the loss of bus service to Thunder Bay would be a blow to those along the route who have no other means to travel back and forth. The dilemma, of course, is that needing the service is one thing; paying for it is quite another.