Thompson residents left with few options after bus service cancelled last year

Sanuda Ranawake · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 2:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A visually impaired pistillate says the City of Thompson needs to bring backmost its section transit service, which she says was captious for her and others who can't get astir easy without it.

Michelle Bruneau can't drive due to the fact that of her ocular impairment. Right now, she relies connected her husband to assistance her get around the metropolis erstwhile he's disconnected work, but different has to take taxis, which tin outgo implicit $25 per ride.

"To walk $25 conscionable to spell for java astatine the promenade conscionable seems not feasible, particularly successful these harder economical times," Bruneau told CBC News.  

Thompson, with a colonisation of conscionable implicit 13,000, has been without local transit service since the summertime of 2024, aft the metropolis suspended its declaration with the erstwhile relation due to the fact that the buses couldn't basal up to the harsh wintertime conditions successful the bluish Manitoba city.

Bruneau said the interaction of losing the autobus work was profound for her. It's near her feeling shut out of society, and trying to find caller ways to marque connections, she said.

She runs a tiny trade concern from home, but wishes she could enactment a better-paying job. She has worked astatine retail stores successful the metropolis previously and commuted by bus, but now, she'd person to find a occupation that fits astir her husband's schedule.

"The stars person to align for maine to find an 8:30 to 4:30 job. And sometimes my hubby works retired of town, truthful adjacent that's not a definite happening to get a ride," she said. 

WATCH | Loss of transit work leaves immoderate residents struggling to get astir bluish city:

Bruneau uses a achromatic cane to assistance her get astir connected foot, but that isn't feasible for making agelong trips crossed town, she said, since she inactive can't spot potholes connected the road. 

"I cognize Thompson, everyone says you're 5 minutes from wherever you request to go, but 5 minutes erstwhile you can't spot is simply a agelong time," said Bruneau.

Low ridership: mayor

But Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook said the previous transit strategy wasn't good used, particularly extracurricular of highest times. While seniors and students utilized it, few others relied connected it, she said.

"The mean time mightiness spot 4 to 5 radical connected a autobus successful a day. It decidedly wasn't a good utilized system. It was precise costly," she said.

She said the metropolis besides doesn't presently person the backing to restart the aged service. It's waiting for a assistance oregon immoderate different means of funding, but she said the metropolis is besides considering alternatives to a afloat transit service. 

Penny Byer, the co-ordinator for the Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council, helps seniors find rides erstwhile she can. When she can't, they person to trust on cabs, of which lone 3 successful the metropolis are equipped to grip wheelchairs. 

"In an mean week, I'd accidental we'd get possibly 2 oregon 3 [requests for rides]. And of those 2 oregon three, we tin astir apt assistance radical fractional the time," Byer said. 

Without the autobus service, which utilized to beryllium free for seniors, galore are near without a mode to get astir oregon conscionable with friends, starring to loneliness and deficiency of independence, she said.

"Taking distant that autobus service, particularly if you don't person your ain vehicle, that's similar shooting you successful the foot, almost," she said. 

Bruneau hopes to see the transit strategy reinstated.

"There are a batch of radical that request a bus," she said. "I cognize that the autobus ever doesn't wage for itself, but it's a necessity."