Wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round with help from the province

Premier Rachel Notley made her support for rural communities and public transportation front and centre of this week’s visit.

Adding to an already announced regional bus service proposal, a new service will zip along Highway 3 this fall, and perhaps provide some clue how to best fill gaps on major routes when Greyhound shuts down service in late October.

It’s clearly a public service issue the NDP wants to own.

Women can’t be expected to hitchhike in this day and age, Notley told reporters on Wednesday, seniors need to get to medical services in the major centres. About 1,200 students in either Lethbridge and Medicine Hat don’t live in the city where they study.

The City of Medicine Hat won’t contribute financially to the pilot. It will administrate the grant, and likely award a contract to a private operator to go into service this fall.

No cost and no new municipal employees... put a bow on that and budgeters at city hall will swear it’s Christmas in July.

But it’s not entirely without the need for further thought, Coun. Phil Turnbull wondered loudly at the press conference.

Why, he said, if the province considers public transportation such a basic right, why aren’t they helping mid-sized cities with general transit budgets?

The city, of course, is coming off a complete schmozzle of transit changes last year meant to save $600,000 per year.

Some on the local council have wondered if the similar support that Calgary and Edmonton enjoy would make the problems in the Hat disappear.

Accounting wise, boosting revenue has the same effect on the budget as similarly sized cuts.

Historically, the province has been helpful with capital spending, and there’s an old adage that it’s easier to build something than maintain or pay to operate it.

There’s another side to the argument however.

Had the province not provided Green Trip funds to purchase five buses, financing the $2.5million cost over 10 years would require annual payments of about $290,000.

So what’s the difference between a $2.5-million grant up front and a 10-year, $290,000 annual operating grant? Not much when interest is included.

Regional politicians are are excited but also curious about the service that will see buses from downtowns in Medicine Hat and Lethrbidge visit 10 stops along Highway 3.

Bow Island Mayor Gordon Reynolds says his community sees the need, but let Medicine Hat take the lead.

Since last year, volunteer drivers have filled in, but it’s a heavy burden to lift.

“People talk about the (private) shuttle service that shut down, when it did, it was the best kept secret,” said Reynolds. “We didn’t know. Nobody realized it was there.”

He’s hopeful a business plan can be built to make the service go, but there’s doubts about what support will be required from municipalities after the fully-provinicial program expires.

Recovering from the annual Stampede celebrations, there is not much public business on the agenda.

Following the annual summer break, city council next convenes on Aug. 20. Still expect some news about the plan going forward with now closed Medicine Hat Arena to come out before the summer is out.

The first mail strike loomed in Medicine Hat as ‘Posties’ across the West demanded a conciliation board decide their contract dispute with Ottawa, the News reported in late July 1918..

Locally, unionized Canadian Pacific Railway mail handlers and other members of the Trades and Labour council pledged support.

Medicine Hat had won the right to host the 2019 meeting of Western Canadian Irrigators, it was announced at the ongoing meeting at Nelson, B.C.

Seven seasons of corn growing at the experimental station at Lethbridge had produced a strain capable of providing 35 bushels per acre in even the driest years, it was announced.

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com