All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems

Winnipeg Region, Manitoba

Winnipeg, Selkirk & Lake Winnipeg Interurban

A branch line from Middlechurch on the Winnipeg - Selkirk line to Stony Mountain and Stonewall opened for service 14 December 1914 (opening ceremony 12 December 1914). Experimentally, a feeder bus route was operated from Stonewall north to Balmoral, Gunton and Teulon from June to "end of summer" 1922. The Stonewall line was bus operated 23 May 1934 to 10 December 1934, and all electric car service ended in favour of buses 1939 (see below). (Baker).

Modes

Breezy Point, Manitoba

Ed's Bus Lines (1940's)
Frequent bus service over a 30 minute route between Selkirk and Breezy Point. Service existed in 1948. (timetable courtesy William A. Luke)

Bird's Hill, Manitoba

William Swystun (January 1939 - ?)
An operating licence for a bus service between Winnipeg and Bird's Hill was granted in January 1939 (Heritage II, p. 245).

Eastern Bus Lines Limited (1950's)
Incorporated by Manitoba letters patent 06 November 1946 (Manitoba Gazette, Vol. 75, #47, Nov. 23, 1946, p. 1639). As part of it's longer suburban/rural bus route to Lydiatt EBL operated commuter trips between Winnipeg and Bird's Hill in eastern East St. Paul. The Lydiatt route existed at least as early as 1935. (William A. Luke photo).

Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg (05 June 1971 - September 1971 [summer seasons only])
Metro Transit began operating a regular summer service to Bird's Hill Park in 1971. In 1971 the service was daily in July and August, and weekends-only in June and September.

City of Winnipeg Transit System (1972 - 1983 [summer seasons only])
Winnipeg Transit continued summer-only service to Bird's Hill Park. The service was eventually reduced to only operate during the annual Winnipeg Folk Festival. In 2012 the Folk Festival service became a charter operation on behalf of the festival.

East St. Paul, Manitoba

Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission (circa 1957 - 31 December 1960)
Winnipeg city system expanded to include East St. Paul in its service area, over the objections of rural/intercity carrier Red River Motor Coach Lines, Ltd., which had served the area since 1925. GWTC reorganized as the Transit Department of the M Corp of G.W. 1961.

Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg (01 January 1961 - 10 February 1965)
Winnipeg city system, also referred to as Metro Transit. East St. Paul Rural Municipality withdrew from Metro 01 January 1965 and Metro Transit eliminated its bus service. Rural/intercity carrier Thiessen Bus Lines, successor to RRMC, continued to operate suburban frequencies through East St. Paul from Winnipeg although schedules were reduced by 1966 (1965 Schedule).

East St. Paul Transit Co-Op (30 July 1973 - 1974)
Service between East St. Paul and Winnipeg. Intended to supersede rural/highway service operated by Grey Goose Bus Lines Ltd. (successor to TBL and RRMC). Sponsored in part by the East St. Paul Chamber of Commerce. Service terminated in the absence of municipal subsidy. (Heritage II, pp. 246-249).

Headingley, Manitoba

Suburban Rapid Transit Company (20 December 1905 - 20 August 1930)
The SRT operated in other Winnipeg suburbs 1903 - 1940. All operation was conducted under contract by the Winnipeg Electric Street Railway Company and its successors. Control of the SRT was purchased by the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company 26 October 1905. Headingley service was converted to buses 07 May 1930 and abandoned completely in August. (Winnipeg Transit photo).

Carlson's Headingly Bus (circa 1935)
Twice daily commuter bus service between Headingley and Winnipeg (Winnipeg Free Press 25 May 1935/APR). Perhaps covered the route from 1930 to 1938?

Sonnichsen Transportation (1938 - 1967) Service between Headingley and Winnipeg. ST established circa 1940 (Bus Ride, November 1989, cited as Sonnichsen Bus Lines). The company, which included school bus operations, was sold to Grey Goose Bus Lines in 1986 (APR). (Scrafton et al. 1970, Peter Cox and William A. Luke photos).

City of Winnipeg Transit System (26 September 1983 - 31 December 1992)
Winnipeg city system, customarily referred to as Winnipeg Transit. Service to Headingley withdrawn 1992 when Headingley became a separate municipality.

Lorette, Manitoba

Lorette Bus Lines Ltd. (circa September 1992 - circa 1993)
Suburban commuter service between Lorette and Winnipeg. Not in the telephone book in 1994.

St. Adolphe, Manitoba

Riverbend Bus Line (1940's)
Operator of suburban bus service between Winnipeg and Saint Adolphe. (William A. Luke photo).

Beaver Bus Lines Limited (1947 - 1963)
Operator of suburban bus service between Winnipeg and Saint Adolphe. Some trips extended to Niverville and Ste. Agathe. (Regiec et al., photo Paul Leger coll.)

Southern Bus Lines (1963 - ?)
Operator of suburban bus service between Winnipeg and Saint Adolphe and Niverville. (Regiec et al., Paul Leger photo).

Ste. Anne, Manitoba

Eagle Bus Lines Limited (1950s?)
Incorporated by Manitoba letters patent 30 December 1946 (Manitoba Gazette Vol. 76, #2, Jan. 11, 1947, p. 18). Suburban short turns were operated by Eagle between Winnipeg and Ste. Anne in the 1950s (William A. Luke photo). Eagle was purchased in 1979 by Beaver Bus Lines Limited who may have operated a Ste. Anne commuter as recently as the early 1980's (APR).

Selkirk, Manitoba

Winnipeg, Selkirk and Lake Winnipeg Railway Company (- 30 April 1939 - 30 September 1948)
Suburban bus service between Selkirk and Winnipeg continued directly from interurban electric railway operations (see above). WS&LW a subsidiary of WECo, the Winnipeg city system and all buses carried the parent company's name until the service was marketed as Selkirk Streamliner in the late 1940s. (photos Winnipeg Transit, Dennis Cavanagh)

Beaver Bus Lines Limited (01 October 1948 - 30 June 2016) Incorporated by Manitoba letters patent 11 December 1945 (Manitoba Gazette Vol. 74, #51, Dec. 22, 1945, p. 1418). Suburban transit service between Selkirk and Winnipeg. Company began as St. Vital Bus Lines operating a service in St. Vital [suburban Winnipeg] 1932 - 1948. Service discontinued 2016 due to declining ridership. (photos Peter McLaughlin, Dennis Cavanagh, and Alex Regiec).

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Data source:

author 2011

Selkirk Transit (30 May 2011 - present)
Local bus service within the City of Selkirk starting 2011. Contract operator is Selkirk & District Handibus. Service operated fare-free 30 May 2011 - 01 July 2011. (Selkirk Journal 02 September 2010, website 2011, photo: Alex Regiec).

system logo

Data source:

APR 2011

Exclusive Bus Lines (04 July 2016 - 01 September 2017)
Assumed the operation of the Winnipeg - Selkirk commuter service after it was discontinued by BBL. Service discontinued at the beginning of September 2017. (CBC 04 June 2016). (photo: David A. Wyatt)

Kasper Transportation Service (05 September 2017 - 20 August 2019)
Ontario-based intercity bus operator and air carrier. Assumed the operation of the Winnipeg - Selkirk commuter service after it was discontinued by Exclusive. Service ended with same-day notice in August 2019. (photo: David A. Wyatt).

Note

Stony Mountain / Stonewall, Manitoba

Winnipeg, Selkirk and Lake Winnipeg Railway Company
Interurban electric railway service (see above). The Stony Mountain-Stonewall line was bus operated by the WS&LW 23 May 1934 to 10 December 1934.

Beaver Bus Lines Limited (1939 - 1946)
Started bus service replacing discontinued interurban to Stonewall and Stony Mountain. Incorporated by Manitoba letters patent 11 December 1945 (Manitoba Gazette Vol. 74, #51, Dec. 22, 1945, p. 1418). Sold route to GGB. (Regiec et al., Photo: William A. Luke).

Grey Goose Bus Lines Ltd. (1946 - ?)
As part of it's intercity bus service in Manitoba's interlake region, GGB operated commuter trips between Winnipeg and Stony Mountain. Company acquired by, and merged with Thiessen Bus Lines 1961. Operation shortly re-branded as Grey Goose. (Regiec et al., William A. Luke photos).

Stonewall Shuttle Service (03 August 2010 - 26 October 2010)
One day a week (Tuesdays) trial town bus service in Stonewall operated as a partnership of the South Interlake Senior Resource Council and the Stonewall and District Handivan Service. Service discontinued for insufficient ridership. (Stonewall Argus August 2010, September 2010, October 2010).

References

• Blake, Herbert W., The Era of Interurbans in Winnipeg: 1902 - 1939, Herbert W. Blake, Winnipeg (Manitoba), 1971.
• Baker, J.E., "Beaver Bus Lines Limited," Canadian Coach, Vol. V No. 7, July 1969, pp. 7-8.
• McLaughlin, Peter "Beaver Bus Line Photos", part of Bus Drawings and Photos, a website at the URL: http://www.busdrawings.com/, 2005.
• "The History of Transportation in East St. Paul", Heritage II: A History of East St. Paul, East St. Paul, Manitoba: R.M. of East St. Paul, 1992, pp. 245-249.
• Regiec, Alex, Dennis R. Cavanagh and David Anthony Wyatt, Dusty Trails To Divided Highways: A History of Intercity Bus Lines in Manitoba, Winnipeg: Rest Stop Press, 2006.