City reacts to Greyhound service cancellation across region

A major hub in Western Canada, Mayor Don Iveson says the cancellation of Greyhound bus service will have “huge implications” on Edmonton.

“As the northernmost major Canadian city and a hub for an awful lot of important things that happen in Western Canada, it’s concerning,” Iveson told reporters just after hearing the news.

“It is going to have implications for labour mobility for people, for people getting home to their families in different communities that come and go from Edmonton regularly.”

Greyhound Canada announced Monday it is ending its passenger bus and freight services in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and cancelling all but one route in B.C. — a U.S.-run service between Vancouver and Seattle offering four daily trips.

The cancellations will result in 75 job losses in Edmonton, Greyhound Canada communications adviser Veronica Rivas said in an email. In total, 107 communities in Alberta will lose service.

“This decision is regretful and we sympathize with the fact that many small towns are going to lose service,” Greyhound Canada senior vice-president Stuart Kendrick said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “But simply put, the issue that we have seen is the routes in rural parts of Canada — specifically Western Canada — are just not sustainable anymore.”

Kendrick said 415 people will be out of work as a result of the decision, which he estimates will impact roughly two million consumers.

Alberta’s Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Monday that Greyhound’s decision is an issue of “national importance.”

“Given the developments today, we need the federal government to step up and come up with a national solution that keeps Canadians connected across the country,” Mason said in an email statement.

Albertans were quick to react to the news on social media and share their concerns.

The cancellation will have a major impact on people in smaller communities who need to travel to larger markets for appointments or services, Edmonton Transit Services advisory board chairman Sean Lee said.

“Any reduction in the transport and mobility options for people who don’t have regular access to an automobile is a concern,” he said.

Edmonton resident Alison Lennie said the loss of service will be a serious detriment for people without vehicles, especially those in rural communities.

Lennie recalls frequently taking the Greyhound to Regina from Alberta while growing up to visit her grandparents and the service cutting could mean an “immediate severing of family connections” for people in similar circumstances.

Not having a car herself, Lennie said mass transit is a good solution to have when encouraging people to reduce emissions and go without a car.

“We’re going to lose a really important connector for a lot of people in Alberta,” she said. “You shouldn’t be mobility-restricted just because you can’t afford to fly in a plane.”

Greyhound Canada said this decision is a result of a 41 per cent decline in ridership since 2010, persistent competition from subsidized national and inter-regional passenger transportation services, the growth of new low-cost airlines, regulatory constraints and the continued growth of car ownership.

Declining ridership is the primary culprit, said Kendrick, who called the combination of declining ridership and increasing costs an “ongoing spiral” that’s making it impossible for the company to continue operations.

He said the company has raised its concerns with provincial and federal officials over the years and wanted to ensure both levels of government were “fully aware” of the situation. Greyhound Canada has long advocated for a community funding model to allow any private carrier to bid on essential rural services, he added.

With the loss of service, Iveson said it could open up new market opportunities for other players.

Red Arrow currently provides travel options to several communities along the Edmonton-Calgary corridor, and Lennie said she hopes they can fill this void.

“Hopefully Red Arrow steps up, but it’s hard to say,” she said. “They don’t serve a lot of routes so I’m not going to hold my breath, but it would be cool to see them step up for sure.”

The cancellations are scheduled to take effect Oct. 31.