MANITOULIN—For now at least, the Evansville stop as part of the Ontario Northland Manitoulin Island bus service has been removed from the Island route.
“The Evansville stop has been removed due to safety concerns with weight limitations on a bridge (in the community),” said Renee Baker, communications manager with Ontario Northland. “If and when the weight restriction is increased, we will review service opportunities for Evansville at that time.”
The Bars Creek Bridge in Burpee-Mills has a weight load use limit of 10 tons, while the Ontario Northland bus used on the Island route weighs approximately 12 tons.
The Island bus service was launched on April 10, adding Little Current, Gore Bay, Mindemoya, Wikwemkoong and many other communities on the Island to the Ontario Northland bus service in Northeastern Ontario (with flag stops in between). The new 30-passenger bus is safe and reliable, as well as providing complimentary WiFi during its five-day a week service. The bus stops at Health Sciences North in Sudbury making it possible to go to an appointment in the morning and then catch the evening bus home.
In addition, the new service connects to the Ontario Northland depot in Sudbury, thereby connecting Manitoulin Island to the many communities served by Ontario Northland.
The bus has a number of stops at Island businesses and community centres, but also operates with “flag stops,” meaning that passengers can flag down the bus along its route.
Information on pricing and schedules can be found on the Ontario Northland website.
“The first month of ridership on Manitoulin Island saw highest levels (of passengers) on Mondays and Fridays, with most passengers commuting to and from Sudbury Health Sciences North and Laurentian University. The majority of riders are adults,” said Ms. Baker.
“The most popular origin destination combinations are Little Current to Sudbury and Sudbury to Wiikwemkoong,” added Ms. Baker.
