Greyhound service in Yorkton shuts down

The countdown to bus extinction has begun (in the Prairies, at least).

Greyhound Canada will be closing its passenger bus and freight services in Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan (British Columbia will maintain a lone Vancouver-to-Seattle route). Yorkton’s service will not be spared. The closures will go into effect on Oct. 31.

“I was surprised and a little disappointed,” said Mayor Bob Maloney.

Greyhound Canada cited slumping sales as their primary reason for abandoning bus services in the Prairies.

“The business model seems to be broken,” Maloney said.

Greyhound passenger buses provided a vital link between rural small towns and bigger cities. They were an affordable alternative to flights. With the closures, hundreds of employees and rural citizens have been left in the lurch.

“It’s a loss for the community,” Maloney said. “It’s going to be difficult.”

Maloney is uncertain what business, if any, will be able to fill the hole when Greyhound rolls out of Yorkton.

“If Greyhound can’t make it work, I don’t know who can,” he said. “I’m not sure what the future of our terminal will be.”