All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems
Ontario Communities (E - K)

by David A. Wyatt

Elliot Lake, Ontario

Elliot Lake Transit 84-1 (Orion 01) (Bernard Drouillard 1989) Elliot Lake Transit (1983 - present)
Initial service used school buses of A.J. Bus Lines before vehicles were purchased in 1984 (JJB 2001). (CBC Venture reference [Feb. 1990], CUTA 1992 “non-member”) Operating contract with A.J. Bus Lines renewed 01 September 2015. From 17 June 2018 ET also operated a twice-daily (except Saturday) trip to Spragge to connect Elliot Lake with Ontario Northland Transportation Commission intercity bus service. (not in CUTA 1991/2, CUTA 1989, CUTA 1988, Sotnyk 1981, or Perera 1973, photo:Bernard Drouillard [Peter Cox collection]).

Espanola, Ontario

Espanola Transit Co. (? - ?)
Holder of an Ontario Highways Department certificate to operate a scheduled bus service between Espanola and Espanola station (CR&MW June 1928, pp. 364-365).

Essa Township, Ontario

"Borden Rocket" (26 August 2013 - present)
Essa Township and Canadian Forces Base Borden contract for weekdaily transit service connecting Angus and Base Borden to Barrie. Service is operated by Barrie Transit as its route #90 (routes 90A and 90B). (Midland Freepress 22 May 2013).

Fort Erie, Ontario

Fort Erie Transit (1977 - present)
Operated under contract by Dunn the Mover Ltd. (Wikipedia 2011). The Town of Fort Erie also participates in the operation of intermunicipal transit between Fort Erie and Niagara Falls by Niagara Falls Transit. The Fort Erie Link grouped with other regional routes as Niagara Region Transit from 12 September 2011. From 01 October 2012 operation of FET was contracted to Tok Transit Limited, a division of Tokmakjian Group. (CUTA 1992 “non-member”, Chow 1998, CTHF/SSG 1998)

Fort Erie Transit logo
system logo
Vehicle fleet1 bus (2000)
Data source:CTHF/SSG 2000
website 2010 (logo)

Note

Grand Trunk? self-propelled steam car commuter rail The Grand Trunk Railway Company and its successor operated frequent passenger shuttle service over the International Railway Bridge between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, and Black Rock, New York, USA, for many years. The bridge opened in 1873. The GTR was placed under government control in 1919, Canadian National Railways administration in 1920, and fully integrated with the CNR in 1923. Shuttle service probably discontinued in the 1930s.

GT International Bridge car (CN archives)

Ridgeway - Crystal Beach System

The Peg Leg Railway Ontario Southern Railway (circa 15 July 1896 - end of summer 1898 (summers only))
monorail Lightly constructed 1½ mi. (2 km) line between Ridgeway, Ontario and an amusement park at Crystal Beach. Track configuration consisted of one running rail with two guide rails, all mounted on posts 10-30 ft. (3-9 m) above the ground. Current supplied by battery power the first two summers, and by more conventional trolley pole the last summer. Known locally as the "Peg Leg Railway". (Mills 1967, Wikipedia 2010).

Fort Frances, Ontario

? (? - 1996)
Service terminated when provincial government funding support was cut. (CUTA 1992 “non-member”)

Dial-A-Ride (? -present)
Demand-responsive transportation service in Fort Frances. Customers need to book at least 15 minutes in advance. Online brochure date 2006. (online brochure 2011).

Note

It is occasionally reported that the battery electric street railway in International Falls, Minnesota, operated across the railway bridge into Fort Frances, Ontario. The American Traction Company (inc. 1912 Maine) opened its street railway between International Falls and Ranier, Minnesota, in 1913 and closed in either 1919 or 1920. Whether or not service ever entered Canada remains to be proven. (McGraw 1918).

Gananoque, Ontario

Double Decker Shuttle Bus (23 June 2000 - ? (summer season only))
Service operated under the auspices of the 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce. Winter 2000/01 service suspension will be 10 October 2000 - 17 May 2001. (CTN 2000). A visit in the summer of 2009 turned up no evidence of this service. It may have disappeared recently or some years ago (DAW 2009).

Goderich, Ontario

Hotel Bedford (19th Century?)
omnibus Fred David, owner. Nothing is known about this operation except that it issued [undated] passenger fare tokens. The typical business pattern was common carrier scheduled omnibus service between railway station(s) and local hotels, coordinated with train arrivals and departures. Most such firms also engaged in charter activities, and some also carried mail. (Atwood – Coffee p. 466).

Ontario West Shore Interurban

Ontario West Shore Railway Company (No operation)
Incorporated 1902 (Ont.) as the Huron, Bruce and Grey Electric Railway Company. Renamed Ontario West Shore Electric Railway Company 1903 and OWSRyCo 1909. Track was constructed between Goderich and Kincardine 1908-1911 but the company went bankrupt before operations commenced. Subsequent investigation turned up that investors (including local municipalities) had been defrauded of a significant portion of the company's capital. (Due)

Gravenhurst, Ontario

Town Shuttle (late 2000's?)
Photographs dated to the late 2000's and other reports indicate a one-route, one bus local transit service operated in Gravenhurst. No indication if it was summer-only or a year-round operation. Bus was operated by Hammond Transportation Ltd. (CPTdb 2015).

The Loop (11 July 2017 - 21 December 2017)
Pilot limited bus service in Gravenhurst. Bus operates midday (11:30am - 2:00pm) Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the summer of 2017. Contract operator is Hammond Transportation Ltd. Pilot terminated December 2017 due to low ridership.

Grey County, Ontario

Grey Transportation Route (14 September 2020 - present)
Rural transit service across Grey County. Operated by contractor Driverseat Owen Sound. Four routes: Highway 10 between Owen Sound and Orangeville, five days a week Monday to Friday, starting 14 September 2020. Highway 26 between Owen Sound and The Blue Mountains, five days a week Wednesday to Sunday, starting 23 September 2020. Highway 6 between Owen Sound and Wiarton, three days a week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, starting 29 September 2020. Grey Road 4 between Flesherton and Walkerton, two days a week Monday and Friday, starting 05 October 2020. (website 2020).

Hawkesbury, Ontario

? (? - 1981?)
“The Transit system in Hawkesbury, Ontario, did not return the General Statistical Questionnaire for the 1981 and 1982 calendar year to the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).” -- Sotnyk. (not in CUTA 1991/2, CUTA 1989, CUTA 1988 or Perera 1973)

Huntsville, Ontario

Huntsville Transit minibus Huntsville Public Transit (? - present)
Contract operator is Campbell Bus Lines (email 2002, Street Side Guide 2015). (website 2012).

Huntsville system logo
 
system logo
Vehicle fleet1 minibus
Data source:website 2002

Huron Shores, Ontario

Huron Shores Area Transit (04 August 2020 - present)
Rural inter-town transit serving Lambton Shores, South Huron, Bluewater, North Middlesex, and Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, with connections to London, Sarnia, Strathroy, and Goderich. Operated under contract by Voyago. website.

Innisfil, Ontario

Uber (15 May 2017 - present)
Demand-responsive public transportation arranged through an agreement between the Town of Innisfil and the Uber ride-hailing service. The municipality established fares for various trips and contracts with Uber to subsidize the difference between the rider fare and the Uber cost. Available trips include travel to and from the Barrie South GO Transit station.

Kawartha Lakes, Ontario

The City of Kawartha Lakes was formed 01 January 2001 by the amalgamation of 12 rural townships: Bexley, Carden, Dalton, Eldon, Emily, Fenelon, Laxton Digby and Longford, Longford, Manvers, Mariposa, Ops, & Somerville; four villages: Fenelon Falls, Omemee, Sturgeon Point, & Woodville; the municipality of Bobcaygeon/Verulam; and the town of Lindsay. (Wikipedia 2010).

Lindsay Lines #6 (Yellow Coach model 733) (Peter Cox) Lindsay Lines Limited (circa 1950 - February 1953)
Owners Ed Carter and Tom Carter. Affiliated with Local Lines Ltd. of Sudbury (Canadian Coach 1970, photo: Peter Cox).

Lindsay Bus Lines (February 1953 - ?)
Owner Abbot Crimmons until 22 May 1956 then Harry V. Johnson. (Canadian Coach Jul. 1970 p. 3).

Fred C. DeNure [Ltd.] (? - circa January 1970)
Denure Bus Co. was induced by a municipal subsidy to continue it's transit operations in Lindsay in December 1959 (RS). (Canadian Coach 1970).

Algar Coach Lines Ltd. (circa January 1970 - ?)
(Canadian Coach Jul. 1970 p. 3). Perera 1973 lists that the Town of Lindsay received transit operating subsidies from the provincial government. Perera 1973 also lists a contact with Stock-Algar Coach Lines Ltd. in Lindsay. ACL acquired by Travelways circa mid 1974 (Canadian Coach 1974).

Lindsay Transit 7901 (Orion 01) (W.E. Miller 1981) Lindsay Transit (circa 1978? - present)
Prior to 2001 was also often listed as Town of Lindsay Transit Department. (pb89, CUTA 1992 “non-member”, CTHF/SSG 1998, website 2011). (not in CUTA 1991/2 or CUTA 1989) (Photos: W.E. Miller [Peter Cox collection], Luke Olszewski)

Lindsay bus after sale to Chatham

Lindsay Transit logo
system logo
Vehicle fleet3 minibuses
Data sources:CTHF/SSG 2000 (1998 data)
website 2010 (logo)

Kawartha Lakes Rural Transit (04 July 2011 - 01 November 2012, 24 June 2013 - 27 June 2015)
A one-year pilot project by the City of Kawartha Lakes to provide weekly bus service to rural parts of Kawartha Lakes was begun 04 July 2011. Communities served include Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, and Omemee. No additional fare transfering between Lindsay Transit and Rural Transit is part of the service. Service cancelled for low ridership in 2012, and revived in 2013. Contract operator (at least from the revival in 2013) is Niagara Classic Transport, also reported as Kawartha Ground Transport. Service cancelled a second time effective June 2015. (website 2011).

Kenora, Ontario

The towns of Kenora, Keewatin and Jaffray Melick were amalgamated to form the city of Kenora in 2000 (Wikipedia).

Kenora Excel Coach Lines Maple Leaf (William A. Luke) Excel Coach Lines Ltd. (1934 - circa 1993?)
Excel operates transit style services in Kenora and between Kenora and neighbouring Keewatin. (Luke & Metler, p. 83, Canadian Coach 1971, Transit Canada 1976, APR circa 1989, CUTA 1992 “non-member”) Service over four routes, under contracts to Kenora and Keewatin. (Photos: William A. Luke, Peter Cox collection, David A. Wyatt).

Kenora Excel Coach Lines 11 Prevost (William A. Luke) Kenora Excel Coach Lines Ford (William A. Luke) Kenora Excel Coach Lines 18 GM old look (William A. Luke) Excel Coach Lines [Kenora] 19 (GM old look) (Peter Cox collection 1967) Kenora Excel Coach Lines 18 GM old look (William A. Luke) Excel Coach Lines [Kenora] 69 GM new look (David A. Wyatt 1991)

Kenora Transit #502 (El Dorado EZ Rider II) (Kevin Nicol 2011 June 07) Kenora Transit (circa 1993? - present)
(not in CUTA 1991/2, CUTA 1989, CUTA 1988, Sotnyk 1981, or Perera 1973) CTHF/SSG 2000 lists Kenora Transit with at least one vehicle acquired as early as 1993. Website (2002) mentions the name Tri-Municipal Bus Services. Photographs from 1999 show buses carried the inscription “Operated by Excel Coach Lines Ltd. Circa January 2013 contract operator Excel was replaced with FirstCanada ULC. (photo Kevin Nicol).

Vehicle fleet2 buses (2000)
Data source:CTHF/SSG 2000

Kirkland Lake, Ontario

McLellan Transportation [Kirkland Lake] 59 (Fitzjohn) (William A.Luke) McLellan Transportation Company Limited (1952 - circa 1993)
Company established 1923 (RS). Purchased new Fitzjohn Cityliner buses July 1950 (Lawrence 2012 p. 47). (Canadian Coach 1973, CUTA 1988, CUTA 1989, CUTA 1992 “non-member“, photo: William A. Luke). (not in CUTA 1991/2, Sotnyk 1981)


Copyright ©1989-2023 David A. Wyatt. All Rights Reserved.
Return to All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems

The author is always interested in comments, corrections and further information. Please email to:

dawwpg@shaw.ca
This page last modified: Wednesday, 02-Aug-2023 20:45:41 CDT