Winnipeg’s Maple Bus Line is the third bus company stepping in to help fill the void that will be left when Greyhound Canada shuts down its routes in Western Canada Oct. 31.
The company will begin offering trips between Thompson and Winnipeg from Sunday through Friday and between Thompson and Cross Lake from Sunday to Thursday in October, with plans to add service between The Pas and Winnipeg early next year.
“We’re looking forward to delivering a long-haul service for the first time to connect people and communities in Northern Manitoba," said general manager Maisie Hicks in a press release. “Our team has been working hard to find ways to make this interim solution meet the needs of customers in the north.”
Current Greyhound Canada employees in Thompson Lona Barnowich and Joanne O’Brien will be joining Maple Bus Lines, which will have a Thompson office on Selkirk Avenue, a main office in Selkirk and a Winnipeg depot at 934 Sherbrook Street. The company will also employ drivers who previously served with Greyhound Canada.
The company’s buses are equipped with washrooms and Maple Bus lines will also be offering freight services as well as charter services, which are currently available from Thompson.
Buses bound between Thompson and Winnipeg will depart at 9 p.m. and arrive at 5:45 a.m. Buses heading to Cross Lake will leave Thompson at 2:15 p.m. and arrive about three hours later before heading back to Thompson at 5:30 p.m.
Maple Bus Lines has already taken over some services previously provided by Greyhound like transporting high school students from Thompson for sports and other activities.
The company offers both 31-passenger and 56-passenger buses.
Thompson Bus began offering service from Thompson to Winnipeg, Gillam and Cross Lake in September and Kacper Transportation plans to begin offering service between Thompson and Winnipeg once Greyhound is out of the picture come Nov. 1.
