Loss of Mahihkan Bus a serious blow to northern Manitoba

Mahihkan Bus Lines which launched in 2019 and was jointly owned by several northern Manitoba First Nations, announced that it would cease operations on Sept 6, 2024. This leaves many communities along its route between Winnipeg, The Pas, and Flin Flon without any public transport.

We have written to Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Lisa Naylor suggesting that Manitoba step in to operate the route along Highway 10 as an essential service until a lasting and sustainable solution can be found, and to federal Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez asking for Canada’s assistance.

Bus services are a lifeline to northern and remote communities, for access to jobs, postsecondary education, family connections, and healthcare. With the bus having been the only viable way to get from many northern Manitoba to medical appointments in Winnipeg, the sudden loss of it will result in substantial costs in the healthcare system for missed appointments, worse health outcomes, and added costs to treat patients whose health has deteriorated as a result of not being able to access timely care. Communities are left scrambling to find alternatives, which are often less convenient and more costly, including paying for taxis and remote air services to get people to hospitals.

Transport Action has also previously proposed several ways in which provinces and the federal government can improve the operating environment for motorcoach services in Canada:

  1. A comprehensive public map of bus routes and a clearing house for interline fares that all carriers can use, making it easier for people to find services and buy tickets.
  2. Access to VIA Rail stations and other existing hubs in major cities to improve the passenger experience, including accessible facilities, and make connections between services easy.
  3. Extend federal grants for accessibility and zero-emission vehicles to motorcoaches used to provide line-run public transport.
  4. Remove federal and provincial sales taxes from motorcoach fares so that rural and long-distance rail and bus have the same tax treatment as commuter rail and transit.
  5. A passenger rights framework that extends across all modes and ensures people can have confidence in taking public transport.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities produced a report in 2023 on Intercity Transport by Bus in Canada that largely echoed these recommendations. Unfortunately the federal government’s response was to assert that motorcoach service is the responsibility of provinces alone, which is not entirely constitutionally accurate because this responsibility is delegated, which overlooks the extent to which federal government funding is used to ensure provinces provide other core services, and overlooks the crucial role of providing a comprehensive network of safe public transportation in advancing reconciliation.

Route and Schedule

The service operated Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

SouthboundNorthbound
Flin Flon9:00Winnipeg11:00
Bakers Narrows9:15Headingley11:15
Cranberry Portage9:30Elie11:35
JCT 10 and 399:45Portage La Prairie12:15
Wanless9:55Westbourne12:40
The Pas11:00Gladstone12:55
Westray11:23Neepawa14:00
Overflowing River12:10Riding Mountain (Hwy 5)14:20
Mafeking12:35Kelwood14:25
Wuskwi Sipihk12:51McCreary14:36
Indian Birch12:54Ste Rose Du Lac14:50
Bowsman13:10Dauphin16:00
Swan River13:45Ethelbert16:15
Minitonas14:00Pine River16:37
Cowan14:20Cowan17:05
Pine River14:35Minitonas17:30
Ethelbert14:55Swan River18:20
Dauphin16:00Bowsman18:30
Ste Rose Du Lac16:25Indian Birch18:45
McCreary16:50Wuskwi Sipihk18:50
Kelwood17:05Mafeking19:15
Riding Mountain (Hwy 5)17:25Overflowing River19:20
Neepawa18:15Westray19:35
Gladstone18:40The Pas21:00
Westbourne19:00Wanless21:30
Portage La Prairie19:30JCT 10 and 3921:45
Elie19:55Cranberry Portage22:00
Headingley20:10Bakers Narrows22:20
Winnipeg20:30Flin Flon22:40
Mahihkan Bus Schedule – August 2024