Feds say help will come for remote, Indigenous communities without buses

OTTAWA — The federal government says it will step in to support the transportation needs of some northern and remote communities affected by the closure of Greyhound bus operations in western Canada and northern Ontario.

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau says Ottawa is open to help affected provinces pay for bus service in communities where private enterprise has not come forward to service abandoned routes.

As well, Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott says her department will subsidize bus services to remote Indigenous communities where needed.

The announcement came as Greyhound was winding down all but one of its routes in the West.

Greyhound announced in July that it would stop serving unsustainable services in Canada as of Oct. 31.

Garneau said the federal government knows how much it is prepared to spend on subsidized bus services but won’t provide the figure until a later date.

The Canadian Press