Holyrood gets on board Ottawa’s electric public transit drive

By Mark Squibb \ May 5, 2023

Avalon MP Ken McDonald was in Holyrood Friday afternoon to announce $482,510 in federal funding for the purchase of two accessible, zero-emission electric busses, a charging station, solar panels, and booking software for the Town of Holyrood.

“Securing this funding will mean the Town of Holyrood is one of the first, if not the first, rural community in this province to secure an electric public transit system,” said McDonald. “This new transit service will fill an existing gap in the community’s local transit needs.”

But while the funding for the two 18-seater buses has been secured, much else remains to be worked out. The Town isn’t sure yet where the buses will go, how much they’ll cost annually in maintenance fees and driver wages, when they will arrive in Holyrood, or how much revenue, if any, they’ll likely bring in.

“The first step after the initial announcement today will be to work with funding partners to develop an operational plan moving forward, making sure that it’s feasible for the Town and for the sustainability of the project moving forward,” explained Deputy Mayor Michelle Woodford, speaking on behalf of council in Mayor Gary Goobie’s absence.

Asked how much revenue the service might bring to the Town, Woodford said that “I would not be able to answer that question right now. That would be a part of the operational plan. How we roll out the program would be something that would be a part of that plan. We haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Woodford said while the logistics haven’t been worked out yet, the Town hopes the shuttles will travel into the metro region, and that it will take “definitely a year,” before the service is up and running.

Booking will be done online through a booking system provided by the federal government.

McDonald, when asked, reckoned the funding will likely cover start-up costs and expenses “for a little while.”

“Holyrood is getting buses for practically nothing, and I think they’ll manage it in a way that they won’t lose money,” said the MP.

McDonald said Holyrood is “doing things head and shoulders over much bigger communities in the province,” and he hopes its successful application of this funding will light a fire under other communities.

“Everywhere I go, people are always talking about the lack of public transportation,” said McDonald. “So, hopefully this will start the ball rolling, because the funding is available, and there’s no better time than now to be a part of it.”

But if towns applying for transportation funding want to see green, they have to be willing to go green. McDonald advised they will have a “much easier” time getting money for electric vehicles than traditional gas or diesel vehicles.

Deputy Mayor Woodford also touched on the need to go green.

“We are delighted to partner once again with our federal government to open opportunities for our rural strategy for our town and surrounding area,” said Woodford. “We believe taking steps, regardless of the size of the step, is very important in recognising that we must do our part to combat the effects of climate change on communities. Once climate change was a topic of conversation; now it’s a topic of action. The funding announced here today establishes the Town of Holyrood to actively engage in a program that provides a much-needed transportation service in a clean, affordable way.”

McDonald applauded the work of Holyrood Economic Development Officer Marjorie Gibbons.

“Most projects get approved because of the quality of the application, and believe me, Marjorie does it well,” he said.