Greyhound’s final departure to be documented

Abus ticket out of town this Wednesday will be one way as the Greyhound departs Penticton for its final service.

Originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m., the bus will now be leaving Penticton at 1:45 p.m.

Greyhound service in the Okanagan has been running since 1930 and its departure is a historical event for the books.

Gary McDougall, a local photographer and historian that works as an archival assistant at Penticton’s museum, will be on site as the bus departs and documenting it for the museum’s records.

“It’s a sad day because so many people rely on (Greyhound) who can’t drive,” said McDougall. “It’s a huge chunk of transit gone.”

McDougall has been spending hours researching through the museum’s archives and organizing items related to Greyhound, whether they be papers, photos, or belongings, since records on the transportation system haven’t been well organized through the years.

“I’m slowly building a folder,” he said. “Down the road 20 years from now, who knows? Maybe there’ll be a 20-year-old who will say, ‘you had a bus service here?’”

It’s relatable, he said, to present time in which many locals are unaware that Penticton had a train service.

“Greyhound was more than just passengers,” McDougall added, telling a story of how the Greyhound bus used to bring mail to and from Marron Valley, and even transported fruit in a refrigerated bus to Kelowna, Vernon and even as far as Kamloops for farmers.

Lynda Verrier, who has worked at the Greyhound station for 34 years and owned the depot for 10, knows Wednesday is going to be an emotional day for her and her family.

“My dad was a Greyhound driver for over 30 years,” she explained. “My husband has worked here with me, my son, my niece . . . it’s been a family business.”

Even her brothers worked for Greyhound.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone — the customers, the staff, bus drivers, and especially to my district supervisor, Kevin Cluett, who has been taking such good care of me these past few months,” she added tearfully. “It’s been a wild ride.” She also said the last few months have been surreal, and while she’ll be working in the near future, she needs some time to herself to adjust after such a life-changing event.

Harv Baessler of the Penticton and district stamp club will also be present before taking a ride on the final bus. He encourages locals to also purchase a ticket and arrange for a ride back home.

In addition to Baessler and McDougall’s presence, there will also be ex-drivers and current employees of Greyhound present for photos and opportunities to speak before and after the bus’s departure.

“It’s interesting how quickly it vanishes without ceremony or trumpet fanfare,” said McDougall. “As far as Baessler knows, we’re probably the only entity across Canada acknowledging the final bus.”

The Penticton Stamp Club, in collaboration with the museum, has designed a “mourning cover” for a commemorative postal stamp that has been produced.

Prices for the stamp cover pre-event cost $4, and post-event, $5. For more inform-ation, contact Baessler at 250-492-4301.