All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems

West Kootenay, British Columbia

Principal System

Nelson Electric Tramway Company (27 December 1899 - 27 April 1908)
Incorporated 04 October 1899 and capitalized by the British Electric Traction Company. Leased and operated by the City of Nelson from 01 January 1905. System was closed by a car barn fire 1908. (British Columbia Archives: Visual Records Catalogue, call number A-03146 [122K photo]).

Nelson Street Railway Company (08 November 1910 - 01 February 1914)
Incorporated 07 September 1909. Service suspended 21 December 1910 - 21 June 1911. Acquired by the City of Nelson 1914.

Nelson Street Railway (01 February 1914 - 20 June 1949)
Municipal operation. Variously recorded in the CYB as “Nelson Municipal” and “Nelson Street”. Buses temporarily replaced all streetcars for several weeks in August and September 1937 (Joyce p. 111). (photo courtesy Alex Regiec).

Interior Stage Lines Limited (20 June 1949 - 01 November 1951)
Private operation. Also operated intercity routes and transit service in Trail. Company went out of business in 1956. (John Day 2003).

Nelson Transit System (02 November 1951 - 30 June 2013)
Operation conducted by the City of Nelson, after 1975 under a contract with BC Transit. (Dawes et al. 1972 lists Nelson Transit Utility). NTS is also responsible for the regional connector service between Nelson and Balfour. Amalgamated with other area transit operations to form West Kootenay Transit 2013. (Transit Canada 1975, Transit News Canada 1984, BC Transit 1988, BC Transit 1989/90, BC Transit 1997, BC Transit 1996, BC Transit 2000, photo: Peter Cox).

West Kootenay Transit (02 July 2013 - present)
Integration of the previously separate transit operations in Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, and Kaslo-Nakusp. The West Kootenay Regional Transit Committee was constituted in 06 June 2012 with representation from seven municipalities: cities of Castlegar, Nelson, and Rossland, villages of Nakusp, Montrose, and Fruitvale, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay. Buses are operated under contract to BC Transit and the municipalities by Trail Transit Services Inc., Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services and the City of Nelson (website 2013). As of 2015 the contracted operators were Trail Transit Services Inc. and the City of Nelson (Street Side Guide 2015).

Secondary Systems

Nelson and Area Paratransit System (01 April 1982 - 30 June 2013)
Paratransit service conducted by Nelson and District Home Support Services Society under a contract with BC Transit and the municipal government(s) Amalgamated with other area transit operations to form West Kootenay Transit 2013. (BC Transit 1989/90: 1 bus).

Nelson Electric Tramway Society (01 July 1992 - present (summer seasons))
Non-profit society operating restored streetcar service along Nelson waterfront (Parker). (Photos NewDavesRailPix and Alex Regiec).

Free Ride Bus (14 December 2013 - circa 06 April 2014)
Ski-season free bus service between Rossland and Red Mountain Resort. Service organized by Tourism Rossland and sponsored by around 42 local businesses. Bus operates on a 45-minute headway between 7:30AM and 10:21PM. (website 2014).

Castlegar System

Castlegar Regional Transit System (28 November 1986 - 30 June 2013)
Operated by Trail Transit Services Inc. under a contract with BC Transit (pb89, BC Transit 1989/90, pb97, BC Transit website 2008, website 2010). Reportedly absorbed into the Trail system circa 1993 but still listed separately in the 1997 telephone directory. Contracting municipality: Regional District of Central Kootenay (pb97). BC Transit web page 2000 implies [Castlegar Regional Paratransit System] as does 2001 BC Transit web page. From 01 November 2010 service expanded to include regional connections to Nelson and Trail (BC Transit press release 08 October 2010). Amalgamated with other area transit operations to form West Kootenay Transit 2013.

Note

Further research is required to categorize and document the activities of the Castlegar Co-operative Transportation Society. Beginning in 1938 the Co-Op operated buses primarily to carry miners to work in Trail. (Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History photos [2012]: photo, photo).

Kaslo - Nakusp Systems

Kaslo Paratransit System (01 April 1982 - 200x?)
Paratransit service conducted by Nelson & District Home Support under a contract with BC Transit and the municipal government(s) (BC Transit 1997). (BC Transit web page 2000, 2001)

Nakusp and Area Paratransit System (31 July 1989 - 200x?)
Paratransit service conducted by Nakusp & District Community Services Association under a contract with BC Transit and the municipal government(s) (BC Transit 1989/90: 1 bus). (BC Transit web page 2000, 2001).

Nelson - Playmor Junction Paratransit System (April 1998 - 200x?)
Paratransit service conducted by Kootenay Regional Health Council (Nelson Home Support Agency) under a contract with BC Transit and the municipal government(s). Service from Playmor Junction via Bonnington, Blewett, Taghum and South Slocan to Nelson. (Email correspondence with BC Transit 1998: 1 bus). (BC Transit 2000)

Central Kootenay Transit System (200x? - 30 June 2013)
Service in Kaslo, Nakusp, Slocan Valley, and South Slocan, connecting to Nelson. Operated under contract by Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services (BC Transit website 2008, website 2010). CKTS is also responsible for the regional connector between Castlegar and Nelson. Amalgamated with other area transit operations to form West Kootenay Transit 2013.

Trail System

E & S City Bus Service (28 September 1937 - circa 1948)
Owner Gus Erickson. Cited as buying a bus in May 1942 (Canadian Coach 1967). Local service in Trail, and to Warfield (BC PUC 1946, 1947). And to Shavers' Beach and Sunningdale (BC PUC 1948). (Joyce, p. 111).

City Bus Service, Ltd. (circa 1948 - 18 August 1948)
Likley an incorporation of the previous unincorporated operator. Service in Trail and to Warfield, Shavers' Beach, and Sunningdale (BC PUC 1949).

Interior Stage Lines Limited (18 August 1948 - 09 February 1956)
Owners Gus Erickson and A. Murray Gibson. Also operates intercity bus service from Trail to Rossland, Salmo and Nelson (Joyce p. 137). Franchised to operate local transit service in Nelson 1949. Never resumed operation after becoming strikebound 1956. By May 1969 Trail has no local transit service (Joyce p. 167). (photo busfanplace.com).

Trail Regional Transit System (06 September 1977 - 1990s?)
(Transit Canada 1976, BC Transit 1988). Operation conducted by Trail Transit Services Inc. under a contract with BC Transit (pb89, BC Transit 1989/90).

Kootenay Boundary Transit System (1990s? - 30 June 2013)
Contract operating company TTS (BC Transit 1997, 2008, website 2010). Expansion of service area to include Castlegar reported circa 1993 but 1997 telephone directory still lists operations separately. Contracting municipality: Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (pb97). CTHF/SSG 1998 does not list a separate fleet for Castlegar. Service to Fruitvale, Kootenay Boundary, Montrose, Rossland, and Trail (BC Transit 2008). KBTS is also responsible for the regional connector service between Trail and Castlegar. Amalgamated with other area transit operations to form West Kootenay Transit 2013. (BC Transit 1996, BC Transit web page 2000).

Modes

References

• NewDavesRailPix: British Columbia, a World Wide Web Site at the URL: http://newdavesrailpix.com/odds/bc/bc.htm, 2000.
• Joyce, Arthur, Hanging Fire and Heavy Horses: A History of Public Transit in Nelson, City of Nelson, 2000.
• May, Dave. "The Nelson Electric Tramway,"; Canadian Rail, No. 412, September-October 1989. Canadian Railroad Historical Association, St.-Constant (Quebec).
• Parker, Douglas V. Streetcars in the Kootenays: Nelson's Electric Tramways - 1899 to 1992, Havelock House, Edmonton (Alberta), 1992.
• British Columbia Archives: Visual Records Catalogue, call numbers G-03140 [113K bus photo], G-03141 [112K bus photo], C-08593 [84K streetcar photo]).