Flin Flon is one of five Manitoba communities getting funds through a new provincial transit program, but while the City will receive money, its share of the millions on offer through the program is a few thousand dollars.
The province committed up to $34.1 million in funding for the next two years for five municipal transit systems throughout Manitoba Dec. 28, meant to “help alleviate transit operating shortfalls related to reduced ridership caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to address affordable housing supply and density,” according to the provincial announcement.
Flin Flon will get a sliver of the cash. Almost all of the money will go to transit in Winnipeg, with the rest of the funds split between Brandon, Flin Flon, Selkirk and Thompson - the four communities outside Winnipeg in Manitoba with municipal passenger bus service.
While no place-by-place funding breakdown was released by the province, City officials have confirmed to The Reminder that the City will receive between $3,500 and $4,000 from the province through the campaign. According to the City’s financial plan for the 2022-23 fiscal year released in May, the City is budgeted to pay approximately $232,500 to operate bus services throughout the year. The funds will cover less than two per cent of the City’s annual costs and are the equivalent of between eight and nine adult riders purchasing monthly passes each month for a year.
Most of the funding, about $20.7 million in total, has been provided by the federal government to the province for the project - the rest of the money, up to $13.4 million, will be part of the next provincial budget, according to provincial municipal relations minister Eileen Clarke.
“Our government is pleased to support municipal transit systems in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson, Selkirk and Flin Flon continue to take measures to recover from economic shortfalls experienced due to reduced ridership during the pandemic,” Clarke is quoted as saying in the initial statement.
Whether or not the City will receive further payments through the funding stream is unknown as of press time.
The City currently runs buses six days a week, going from 5:25 a.m. until 6:50 p.m. every weekday and from 11:32 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. on Saturdays. Hours change during summer months.
