Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services is an
intercity bus service
An intercity bus service (North American English) or intercity coach service (British English and Commonwealth English), also called a long-distance, express, over-the-road, commercial, long-haul, or highway bus or coach service, is a public tr ...
operated by the
Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), or simply Ontario Northland, is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario responsible for providing transportation services for passengers and goods in northern Ontario. It reports to ...
, a
Crown agency
A crown agency was an administrative body of the British Empire, distinct from the Civil Service Commission of Great Britain or the government administration of the national entity in which it operated. These enterprises were overseen from 1833 ...
of the government of
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services operates passenger and parcel transportation service in
northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Pro ...
, with additional routes connecting northern Ontario to the
Greater Toronto Area,
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
, and
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
.
History
Coach service began in 1937 following the amendments to the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway Act that allowed the then Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway to operate buses in Northern Ontario. There are two scheduled routes running north–south between Toronto and Hearst; the
Highway 11 corridor, through
North Bay and
Cochrane, and the Highway
400/
69/
144 144 may refer to:
* 144 (number), the natural number following 143 and preceding 145
* AD 144, a year of the Julian calendar, in the second century AD
* 144 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* 144 (film), ''144'' (film), a 2015 Indian com ...
corridor, through
Parry Sound
Parry Sound is a sound or bay of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sound from Georgian B ...
,
Sudbury and
Timmins
Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...
. There are also routes running east–west between Sudbury and
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and between
White River and
North Bay.
All buses have complimentary WiFi for passengers which is available wherever a cellphone signal exists. There are scheduled rest stops for passengers every hour and a half or so.
The bus service was suspended when a drivers' strike began on September 29, 2007. The strike left the train as the only public transportation available for many communities; bus service did not resume until December 11, 2007.
Planned divestment
In 2012 the provincial government announced the divestment of the crown corporation citing it could no longer subsidize the money-losing operation. The government then cancelled the
Northlander
The ''Northlander'' was a passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario, Canada.
The ''Northlander'' operated six days per week year-round in both directions and connected Cochrane with Toronto. The train typically consi ...
passenger train service from Toronto to Cochrane. Then premier
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...
vowed to keep the coaches running after the Crown agency is sold off (the number of coaches in service has increased to compensate for the lack of the passenger train service) to continue to provide transit to remote Northern Ontario.
Restructuring
Northern Ontario municipal leaders had continued to express their fears regarding the divestment. They indicated that the ONR provides a fundamental link to many remote and rural communities and provides freight transport to many companies, including mining and forestry, allowing them to thrive. They indicate that the government maintained its funding to the
GO Transit
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven millio ...
network in Southern Ontario and it is important not forget about the important service the ONR provides to
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Pro ...
residents.
February 2014, the new premier of Ontario
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2003 and sat as the ...
met with northern community leaders and the head of the company and union to discuss the future of the company. They decided the union and management would present a reconstruction plan to the government for consideration.
In late February 2014, a report to restructure the ONTC was delivered to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. The proposal detailed how the organization could be modernized both culturally and in job reductions through attrition. The report was well received by the minister who appreciated how management and labour come together to explore options for the corporation.
In April 2014, the provincial government concluded the company would remain in public hands. However,
Ontera
Ontera is a telecommunications company in Ontario, Canada and a subsidiary of Bell Aliant. It provides local telephone service in the Northern Ontario towns of Bear Island, Iroquois Falls, Marten River, Moosonee, Moose Factory and Temagami, and ...
(its telecommunication division) was sold off to
Bell Aliant
Bell Aliant is a brand name used by Bell Canada for telecommunications services in Atlantic Canada.
Prior to 2015, Bell Aliant Inc. (formerly Aliant Inc.) was a separate company providing telecom services in the Atlantic provinces and a few othe ...
. The government reinvested in the company to purchase new coaches and refurbish rolling stock for the
Polar Bear Express
The ''Polar Bear Express'' is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario. Service was introduced in 1964. While designated as a passenger train, the Polar Bear Express also carries freight and is equ ...
. This decision was supported by other members of Provincial Parliament after the auditor general's review cited that it would have cost the taxpayer $820 million instead of saving $265.9 million over three years had the divestment proceeded.
As per recent restructuring efforts, the ONTC closed the bus station in Englehart and Matheson which were replaced by an agency (as in other smaller locations) and with e-ticketing. New Liskeard, Kirkland Lake and Sudbury also had their hours reduced and will be closed on weekends (instead functioning as stops). The bus schedules themselves are not affected.
In January 2016, the ONTC announced a route running east–west, between Sudbury and Ottawa (Eastbound - Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and Westbound - Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays). While historically serviced by
Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...
, that company recently reduced its service along this corridor with only a night bus remaining. In this case Ontario Northland has provided daytime service with a bus leaving Ottawa at 7 AM and from Sudbury at 2:05 PM. This marked the first time in the company's history that they have serviced
Highway 17.
, new funding from the provincial government allowed for further expansion westward covering an additional 750 km and 20 communities West of Sudbury to White River.
Feasibility studies are underway to determine whether service expansion would include other communities currently not serviced, including
Hornepayne and servicing a number of communities on
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...
. Based on these studies, Ontario Northland initiated weekday bus service to Manitoulin Island including 15 different stops.
, Ontario Northland initiated new service between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, via White River and Hornepayne.
, Ontario Northland added 6 new hospital locations to the schedules.
Following the temporary suspension of operations by Kasper Transportation in northwestern Ontario in 2020 (due to Covid), Ontario Northland inaugurated a twice-weekly return service between
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
and
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
.
Routes
Ontario Northland operates several routes:
*
Toronto Downtown –
Barrie
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...
–
Bracebridge –
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
–
North Bay
*
Toronto Downtown –
Barrie
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...
–
Parry Sound
Parry Sound is a sound or bay of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sound from Georgian B ...
–
Sudbury
*
Sudbury –
Timmins
Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...
–
Hearst
*
Sault Ste Marie –
Sudbury –
North Bay –
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
*
Toronto Yorkdale –
Vaughan Highway 407 –
Barrie
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...
–
Orillia
Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is in Simcoe County between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a single-tier municipality. It is part of the Huronia region of ...
–
Gravenhurst –
Bracebridge –
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
–
North Bay
*
Sault Ste Marie –
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
*
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
–
Dryden
''
John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...
–
Kenora –
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
*
North Bay –
Matheson –
Timmins
Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...
–
Cochrane –
Hearst
''* Two daily trips only in both directions''
Fleet
In 1991, ONR acquired some buses from the sale of
Gray Coach
Gray Coach was a Canadian inter-city bus line based in Toronto, Ontario, from 1927 to 1992. It was founded and initially owned by the Toronto Transportation Commission, until sold to Stagecoach in 1990. In 1992 the business was sold to Greyho ...
by
Stagecoach Group.
A list of current and retired buses operated by Ontario Northland:
Active
* 8
MCI D4505
* 17
Prevost
Prevost, Prévost or Prévôt may refer to:
Places
* Prévost (electoral district), Quebec, a provincial electoral district
* Prévost, Quebec, a community in the Laurentians region of Quebec, Canada
** Prévost station
* Prevost, a community ...
X3-45
Leased coaches from Prevost (XL2-45)and Temsa (TS35C)
Retired
*
MCI 102DL-3 - 1 sold
*
MCI 102D3
*
MCI 102C3
*
MCI 102A3 - acquired from Gray Coach
*
MCI 102A2
*
MCI 102-AW3 - wheelchair assessible with lift
*
MCI MC9 - a few acquired from Gray Coach
*
MCI MC8
*
MCI MC7
*
MCI MC5A
*
MCI MC5B
*
CC&F/Brill IC-41
*
CC&F CD-36A
*
Dodge B-322
See also
*
Ontario Northland Railway
*
Bus companies in Ontario Bus companies in Ontario range in scale from small family-run businesses to subsidiaries of large international transportation groups. Many operate yellow school buses for student transportation on behalf of local school boards, while others concent ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services
Motor Coach
Bus transport in Ontario
Bus transport in Greater Sudbury
Bus transport in Simcoe County
Bus transport in Manitoba
Public transport in Greater Sudbury
Intercity bus companies of Canada
Companies based in North Bay, Ontario
Transport in North Bay, Ontario