During question period on Monday, Mushkegowuk – James Bay NDP MPP Guy Bourgouin called on the government to "stop ignoring the needs of Northern families" and invest in passenger transportation for Northern Ontario.
Bourgouin said that disjointed bus services force some Northern families to travel for days to get to cities within only a few hours’ drive.
“For one of my constituents, recent changes to bus routes means a 26-hour bus trip to get from Barrie to Kapuskasing,” said Bourgouin. “It now takes two days for those travelling from Sudbury – which only takes a six-hour drive – because of a lack of coordination with transfers.”
Bourgouin claims while Northern families are left struggling with fragmented bus services, the government refusing to restore Northlander passenger rail services, shuttered by the previous Liberal government.
“Whether it’s due to poorly maintained roads or limited or no access to public transportation, communities across the North are struggling. This is not new. First the train to Cochrane was cut. Next came cuts to Greyhound,” said Bourgouin.
