Greyhound ending service from downtown

Greyhound buses will no longer service the Catherine Street station once the company resumes operations in Ottawa.

The Dallas-based company, which ceased its Canadian operations four months ago because of the downturn in the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, confirmed its intentions in an email Thursday.

“While Greyhound will no longer operate from Ottawa Central Station, Ottawa will continue to be a vital part of our network,” said spokesperson Crystal Booker. “As we work through the impact of the pandemic on our business, we will communicate well in advance our new location prior to a startup date.”

A 95-per-cent drop in ridership forced the company to halt its Canadian operations in May, affecting about 400 employees.

Two years earlier, the company pared back most of its service to Western Canada, again citing low ridership.

The owner of the Catherine Street property where the bus station is situated had indicated in 2011 that he was prepared to build a “village” of highrise condominiums, townhouses, offices and stores if Greyhound ever left.

Vancouver real estate entrepreneur Stewart Robertson had applied to the City of Ottawa to rezone the property from transportation use to general mixed-use.

He submitted a proposal that featured 458 residential units in buildings ranging from nine to 23 storeys, as well as a row of stacked townhouses along Arlington Street, 446 underground parking spaces, and commercial and office uses.

Robertson could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.