Greyhound Canada has contacted Kimberley City Council asking for feedback about the potential elimination of their Route F and they are about to get an earful.
Route F provides Kimberley with service to Calgary with stops at the Alberta border, Radium, Invermere, Windermere, Fairmont, Columbia Lake, Canal Flats, Skookumchuk, Kimberley and Cranbrook.
Greyhound has applied to the BC Passenger Board to eliminate this route.
“They’ve asked all municipalities and the RDEK for input,” said Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick. “Kimberley Council has some strong opposition.”
The route is a vital link to Calgary, McCormick says.
“Not everyone in our community can afford $400 for a flight. Not everyone owns a car.
“Our input will be strongly opposed to this and it will be the same for other communities.”
McCormick says he just hopes Greyhound is actually willing to listen to the input they get and not just asking as a matter of procedure.
Paddy Brown, who owns Flowers Galore, which is the Greyhound stop in Kimberley, says this will be a huge inconvenience for people.
“This will definitely affect any passengers from Cranbrook to Radium. A lot of people in Kimberley take the bus to Calgary for medical reasons and it leaves here at 10:05 AM and get into Calgary at 3:20. With this change they will have to go to Golden then wait there 4-5 hours to connect with a Calgary bus so the trip will now be 12 hours or so.