Goodbye Greyhound? The thread stitching together Canada's North wears thin

Greyhound Canada is trying to pull passenger service out of parts of rural B.C. — again threatening bus service that in many parts of Canada is the only reliable ride in or out of town.

It's not a new threat.

For years the Dallas-based bus company has cried poor, and some experts say maybe it's time to let Greyhound go the way of the Sears printed catalogue and rethink rural transportation that's so crucial to  many, especially First Nations communities, seniors and young people.

Back in 2009 Greyhound demanded $15-million in government aid, threatening to cut passenger service in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, on unprofitable rural routes. 

Most routes survived but experts say it's time to look at gaping holes in tBut for many, Greyhound is the only ride.

Every day at 4 a.m. PT a half-empty Greyhound bus arrives in New Hazelton, B.C., before heading west to Prince Rupert, then looping back on the way to Prince George — when it's on time. It's not perfect, but the town between Smithers and Terrace would have no daily service without this bus.

"I'm surprised they're even going to let this happen," said Scott Swiednicki, the owner of the local Greyhound depot and Sears outlet in the 700-person town. He plans to fall back on his work as a tattoo artist, which he says is more lucrative.

Greyhound shuttles 6.5 million passengers a year to 1,100 Canadian locations. It's the biggest bus operator in the country. A bus ticket from Vancouver to Toronto is about $300, and one from Vancouver to Whitehorse about $36 he fabric of Canada's transit system that stop people from easily reaching family and supports.

"These connections are vital to keep people healthy," says David Snadden, the University of British Columbia's rural health chair. Riders from Saskatoon to Thunder Bay echo his concerns, but often feel the bus is the only affordable option for travel. Complaints are rife.

There was even a case last year when two teens were forced off a bus headed for Alberta and left stranded at a truck stop near B.C.'s infamous Highway of Tears, causing outrage.