MANITOULIN – Islanders are dismayed to learn that the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) will cease its bus service on Manitoulin this Friday, November 15.
Members of the United Manitoulin Islands Transit (UMIT) committee tried their best to persuade ONTC to maintain transportation here until the new local bus system scheduled for March rolls out, but to no avail.
UMIT began a few years ago when the Sudbury branch of March of Dimes Canada (MODC) became concerned when some employees could not find reliable transportation to their workplace. They enlisted vocational rehabilitation specialist Guy Dumas to investigate transportation matters on the Island. He began with consultations with a very large group of organizations, businesses and institutions, noting that there are over 1,020 of these on Manitoulin and that UMIT seeks to enable residents to access shopping and schools and to keep medical appointments. Some of the organization’s constituents include KTEI, LAMBAC, First Nations, Health Sciences North, the Angel Bus, Wikwemikong Tourism and others.
UMIT reached out to transportation consultants and hired Wally Beck to do a feasibility study pertaining to bus transit on Manitoulin. Mr. Beck is the president of Transit Consulting Network and has 43 years of experience in the field as well as 23 years of municipal experience.
Mr. Beck found that there are many issues relating to the lack of public transit. These include not being able to accept a job, being fired for missing time, that students cannot access tourist industry jobs during the summer or stay for after-school programs, and hitchhiking does not guarantee that a worker will arrive at the job site on time. Mr. Beck also found that the biggest deterrent to securing employees for the food producer industry was reliable public transportation.
Mr. Beck, along with Mr. Dumas, submitted an application for Ontario government funding grants under the municipality of Central Manitoulin. The Provincial Transportation Grant Program is an initiative of the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). This is a five-year program providing $30 million in total funding to municipalities across the province to plan, implement and operate community transportation services in their community. UMIT was successful in securing the local transit grant of $500,000 over five years but was denied the $1.5 million grant for long distance travel as ONTC was already providing that service. In terms of other funding, Mr. Beck mentioned that revenue can be secured through such avenues as advertising on bus benches, transport of groceries and parcels and funds from the Ontario government’s dedicated gas tax rebate. (This is for two cents per litre of gas and is based on 70 percent ridership and 30 percent population.) Figures cited show that Espanola received $12,870 in gas rebate money for 2016-2017 while Cochrane received $30,352 for the same period. Mr. Beck also told UMIT committee members recently that he believed the other government funds for transit would stay in place.
Islanders who took the ONTC buses were not happy with the long rides of almost three hours with two loops of Manitoulin done each day, connecting twice to Sudbury. The UMIT committee is looking at having two key hubs, Gore Bay and Mindemoya, but also travelling from Manitowaning into Little Current and using existing transportation vehicles such as taxis and the Angel Bus to get people to the main route stops such as M’Chigeeng. As Barbara Bright of Kagawong had suggested at a West End transit meeting, perhaps there could be a direct route from Gore Bay to Little Current with feeder buses coming in from other areas to hook up with the main bus. This is what Mr. Beck’s feasibility study had suggested.
Mr. Beck’s study report had a key component of community engagement and this involved one-on-one interviews, research of existing transportations modes, an online survey and was also presented to the Manitoulin Municipal Association, the municipalities, the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising (UCCMM) and also to Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.
The feasibility study had other key parts including the role reliable transportation can play for residents to age in place. It noted that public transit provides an opportunity to break the isolation barrier for seniors who have no means of moving about and it can also generate a sense of fulfillment for the mobility challenged and people with disabilities.
In September, UMIT met with Nathalie Lanthier, a development officer with the Ontario Co-operative Association (OCA). The mandate of this organization states that the OCA has been the leading association for economic, social and community development in Ontario. It achieves this by allowing co-operatives to consult and advance their interests and OCA supports their development. Ms. Lanthier spoke of the success of co-operatives in Ontario and suggested the multi-stakeholder model, which UMIT has agreed to. This business model gives UMIT access to grants and would be not-for-profit which would allow any profit to be reinvested in providing service. It would include the bus and taxi services and community organizations.
At the present time, Mr. Dumas is in consultation with AJ Bus Lines, the transit service provider for Manitoulin. ONTC was asked if they would provide bus service from Espanola to Little Current. They responded that on-demand service will be in place through taxi service and ONTC will ticket right through to the Little Current site. Mr. Dumas wants to ensure that bus transportation to Birch Island is also in place and will discuss this with the board of directors. He also reiterated that Gore Bay and Mindemoya are the starting points for transit and that UMIT will have to look into the Wiikwemkoong situation for busing as this community was the highest user of the ONTC buses.
He is also working on UMIT bylaws with OCA and will file papers for incorporation as soon as the founding directors sign the necessary documents at the upcoming meeting November 21. The directors are Guy Dumas, Angel Bus coordinator Sandy Cook, KTEI student support counsellor Christine Sarbo, Wiikwemkoong representative Rose Shawanda and Mindemoya representative Betty Bardswich. Municipality of Central Manitoulin councillor Steve Shaffer remains on the UMIT committee.
Mr. Dumas has accepted the end of March rollout for the Island bus system, but is hoping to do a practice run in January.
MANITOULIN—Islanders are dismayed to learn that the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) will cease its bus service on Manitoulin this Friday, November 15.
Members of the United Manitoulin Islands Transit (UMIT) committee tried their best to persuade ONTC to maintain transportation here until the new local bus system scheduled for March rolls out, but to no avail.
UMIT began a few years ago when the Sudbury branch of March of Dimes Canada (MODC) became concerned when some employees could not find reliable transportation to their workplace. They enlisted vocational rehabilitation specialist Guy Dumas to investigate transportation matters on the Island. He began with consultations with a very large group of organizations, businesses and institutions, noting that there are over 1,020 of these on Manitoulin and that UMIT seeks to enable residents to access shopping and schools and to keep medical appointments. Some of the organization’s constituents include KTEI, LAMBAC, First Nations, Health Sciences North, the Angel Bus, Wikwemikong Tourism and others.
UMIT reached out to transportation consultants and hired Wally Beck to do a feasibility study pertaining to bus transit on Manitoulin. Mr. Beck is the president of Transit Consulting Network and has 43 years of experience in the field as well as 23 years of municipal experience.
Mr. Beck found that there are many issues relating to the lack of public transit. These include not being able to accept a job, being fired for missing time, that students cannot access tourist industry jobs during the summer or stay for after-school programs, and hitchhiking does not guarantee that a worker will arrive at the job site on time. Mr. Beck also found that the biggest deterrent to securing employees for the food producer industry was reliable public transportation.
Mr. Beck, along with Mr. Dumas, submitted an application for Ontario government funding grants under the municipality of Central Manitoulin. The Provincial Transportation Grant Program is an initiative of the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). This is a five-year program providing $30 million in total funding to municipalities across the province to plan, implement and operate community transportation services in their community. UMIT was successful in securing the local transit grant of $500,000 over five years but was denied the $1.5 million grant for long distance travel as ONTC was already providing that service. In terms of other funding, Mr. Beck mentioned that revenue can be secured through such avenues as advertising on bus benches, transport of groceries and parcels and funds from the Ontario government’s dedicated gas tax rebate. (This is for two cents per litre of gas and is based on 70 percent ridership and 30 percent population.) Figures cited show that Espanola received $12,870 in gas rebate money for 2016-2017 while Cochrane received $30,352 for the same period. Mr. Beck also told UMIT committee members recently that he believed the other government funds for transit would stay in place.
Islanders who took the ONTC buses were not happy with the long rides of almost three hours with two loops of Manitoulin done each day, connecting twice to Sudbury. The UMIT committee is looking at having two key hubs, Gore Bay and Mindemoya, but also travelling from Manitowaning into Little Current and using existing transportation vehicles such as taxis and the Angel Bus to get people to the main route stops such as M’Chigeeng. As Barbara Bright of Kagawong had suggested at a West End transit meeting, perhaps there could be a direct route from Gore Bay to Little Current with feeder buses coming in from other areas to hook up with the main bus. This is what Mr. Beck’s feasibility study had suggested.
Mr. Beck’s study report had a key component of community engagement and this involved one-on-one interviews, research of existing transportations modes, an online survey and was also presented to the Manitoulin Municipal Association, the municipalities, the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising (UCCMM) and also to Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.
The feasibility study had other key parts including the role reliable transportation can play for residents to age in place. It noted that public transit provides an opportunity to break the isolation barrier for seniors who have no means of moving about and it can also generate a sense of fulfillment for the mobility challenged and people with disabilities.
In September, UMIT met with Nathalie Lanthier, a development officer with the Ontario Co-operative Association (OCA). The mandate of this organization states that the OCA has been the leading association for economic, social and community development in Ontario. It achieves this by allowing co-operatives to consult and advance their interests and OCA supports their development. Ms. Lanthier spoke of the success of co-operatives in Ontario and suggested the multi-stakeholder model, which UMIT has agreed to. This business model gives UMIT access to grants and would be not-for-profit which would allow any profit to be reinvested in providing service. It would include the bus and taxi services and community organizations.
At the present time, Mr. Dumas is in consultation with AJ Bus Lines, the transit service provider for Manitoulin. ONTC was asked if they would provide bus service from Espanola to Little Current. They responded that on-demand service will be in place through taxi service and ONTC will ticket right through to the Little Current site. Mr. Dumas wants to ensure that bus transportation to Birch Island is also in place and will discuss this with the board of directors. He also reiterated that Gore Bay and Mindemoya are the starting points for transit and that UMIT will have to look into the Wiikwemkoong situation for busing as this community was the highest user of the ONTC buses.
He is also working on UMIT bylaws with OCA and will file papers for incorporation as soon as the founding directors sign the necessary documents at the upcoming meeting November 21. The directors are Guy Dumas, Angel Bus coordinator Sandy Cook, KTEI student support counsellor Christine Sarbo, Wiikwemkoong representative Rose Shawanda and Mindemoya representative Betty Bardswich. Municipality of Central Manitoulin councillor Steve Shaffer remains on the UMIT committee.
Mr. Dumas has accepted the end of March rollout for the Island bus system, but is hoping to do a practice run in January.
Updated press release from Ontario Northland, click here.
