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RECORD FILE
PHOTO BY AUSTIN GRABISH
Selkirk and District Handi-Bus will lose thousands in
funding from the City of Selkirk in two weeks.
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By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record
The clock is ticking for Selkirk and District Handi-Bus.
The organization has just two weeks before it loses
thousands in funding from at least one, but possibly three municipalities.
On April 30 all funding to the organization from the City of
Selkirk will cease.
The City has provided the bus service with a $30,000 annual
grant for several years.
Officials with Handi-Bus were unsure at press time Monday if
St. Andrews or St. Clements would continue to provide grants to the bus
service.
The move by the City follows an online notice that it and
the two other municipalities posted in February.
The notice said the councils expect
Handi-Bus to be transparent, fiscally responsible and follow sound operating
practices.
The municipalities struck a joint
committee earlier this year after concerns about persistent financial and
operating challenges were raised, the notice said.
“The City of Selkirk has all but told Handi-Bus we don’t
want your service,” said Brad Bell, a board member with the non-profit group.
Bell said Handi-Bus was informed by the City of Selkirk at a
February meeting it would stop funding the organization all together, and
instead proceed with its own special bus service.
In the online notice the municipalities said they have a
responsibility to ensure citizens have access to “a safe and reliable
handi-transit service.”
The notice went on to say an “alternative service model” was
being explored.
City of Selkirk chief administrative officer Duane Nicol
refused to discuss details about any new bus service during a phone interview
Monday.
“There is no specific model that I could discuss at this
point,” he said.
Nicol went on to say the City wouldn’t be commenting further
about its turf with Handi-Bus.
“We’re not really looking to engage in a conversation about
the specifics of this situation through the media,” Nicol said.
“We don’t think it’s helpful.”
Nicol said the City clearly communicated concerns it had
with Handi-Bus on several occasions, but those concerns were not addressed, he
said.
“That’s sort of caused the need for the three municipalities
to pass the resolution and take some more formal action.”
Nicol refused say what specific concerns the City has with
the bus service, but said City staffers tried to address the issues with the
organization at a meeting, and “Their response was no that they didn’t see the
value of that meeting,” Nicol said.
Bell said City’s decision to pull funding is a huge blow to
the organization and leaves it with no choice, but to raise rates for users.
Board member Sharon Wasny said the price clients pay for a
ride will skyrocket.
She said currently a one-way trip from St. Andrews or St.
Clements to Selkirk costs $12.
Starting May 1 there will no longer be a flat rate charged,
and instead users will have to pay $2.70 per kilometre.
“Not all of our clients can afford those kind of rates,”
Wasny said.
“It’s a shame,” added Bell.
Bell accused the City of playing political games with
Handi-Bus.
He said the turf is eerily similar to a recent public
dispute between former Winnipeg women’s shelter Osborne House and the province.
“The City of Selkirk is pulling an Osborne House on the
Handi-Bus, because they want to have commanding control,” Bell said.
But months of internal turmoil have plagued Handi-Bus.
Several board members and organization staffers have either
resigned or been fired in recent months.
Bell only joined the Handi-Bus board in December, and said,
“As soon as I joined on it was in turmoil, and it still is in turmoil,” he
said.
Nicol said he’s disappointed to hear rates will rise for
users.
“We’ve been made aware of the cost increases, and we think
that that’s unfortunate,” Nicol said.
-- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition April 16 2015 p.11
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