Serving the Eastern Townships English-speaking Community since 1979.
COLLECTIVE RURAL TRANSPORT IN THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS: PART I
July 7, 2010
Summer, unlike any other season, beckons us to escape the confines of our homes. It invites us to ‘hit the road’, to reconnect with nature and to visit and celebrate with family and friends. It is a social season. In more rural areas of the Eastern Townships, limited access to transportation can deprive some people of these opportunities. Seniors, young people and low-income individuals and families are particularly affected by lack of transportation. It has been shown that reduced mobility can contribute to feelings of isolation and depression. Over the last 12 years, at the behest of Quebec’s Ministry of Transport, MRCs across the province have been encouraged to pool their resources such as adapted transport, inter-city school bus transportation, taxi, carpooling, etc, to provide more opportunities for those with limited transportation options.
Here in the Eastern Townships, with initial provincial funding, a number of initiatives have developed. Most MRCs provide some form of public transportation within their region and a number of them have expanded their range by offering round-trip transportation to local city-centers. All transportation services are low-cost and anyone can use them. Most MRCs require users to register for this service. Some require reservations 24 hours in advance, others do not. Here is a breakdown on rural transportation initiatives in the region.
MRC HAUTE-YAMASKA
Collective rural transportation has been present in this region since 2006. Utilizing existing MRC adapted transportation routes, it serves the municipalities of Roxton Pond, Shefford, St-Alphonse, St-Joachim-de-Shefford, Ste-Cécile-de-Milton, Warden and Waterloo. For more information, call 450-539-4515 or 1-877-539-4515. A user guide and a registration form in English is available on the MRC website at www.haute-yamaska.ca. Click on “Services”, then “transport collectif”.
MRC BROME-MISSISQUOI
The Brome-Missisquoi MRC offers public transit service that also uses established adapted transportation routes. The transit service routes reach twenty municipalities including Bedford, Cowansville, Brome, Farnham, Frelighsburg and Sutton. For more information call 450-293-8583 or 1-866-890-5242. Their user guide is available on the mass transit section of their website www.brome-missisquoi.ca. Click on “Citizen Services”, then under Services click on “Transport”.
MRC COATICOOK
The MRC of Coaticook provides three transportation services: adapted transport, long-distance transport between the municipalities of Coaticook, Compton and Sherbrooke, and a collective rural transport service that connects twelve villages including Coaticook, Dixville, Stanstead-East and Waterville. Since 2008, these three services are administered by one non-profit organization, Acti-Bus de la région de Coaticook Inc. For more information, call 819-849-3024 or consult their website at www.mrcdecoaticook.qc.ca. On the left sidebar, click on “Transport”.
MRC DU GRANIT
MRC du Granit’s transport system is operated by Trans-Autonomie which provides both adapted and public transport service to over twenty villages in the region including the municipalities of Lac Mégantic, Milan, Frontenac, Val Racine and Lambton. For more information call 819-583-4263 or toll-free 1-877-583-4263 or consult their transport webpage at www.mrcgranit.qc.ca/transport_collectif.php.
Next week, we will look at rural transportation initiatives in the Haut-Saint-François, Memphrémagog, Val-Saint-François and Des Sources MRCs.
SUPPORT TOWNSHIPPERS’ DAY VIA PAYPAL
In an effort to make it easier to contribute to Townshippers’ Day, the Association recently added a PayPal button to the Townshippers’ Day website. Now, both individuals and organizations can support Townshippers’ Day by simply clicking a button and filling in a short online form. PayPal offers a secure online payment system where anyone can send funds via their debit card, PayPal account or by most major credit cards. This option is available on both the English and French sections of the website (www.tday.ca). Thanks for your support of this long-standing bilingual festival highlighting the English-speaking community and culture of the Eastern Townships!