Provincial grant fuels PC Connect for another year

A provincial grant of $749,000 will help fuel the county’s transit program pilot project for at least another year.

Article content

Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae announced the funds for PC Connect on Friday, with $159,406 earmarked for Perth County and $590,000 for the City of Stratford through the Community Transportation Grant Program to sustain ongoing operations and alleviate the fiscal strain on upcoming municipal budgets.

Article content

“Whether it is traveling for medical appointments, shopping or visiting family and friends, it is important that residents of Perth-Wellington have transit options,” Rae said. “I will continue to advocate for provincial investments in our rural communities.”

Established in 2019, PC Connect is a fully accessible, cost-effective bus service that provides connectivity across rural Perth County and surrounding areas, including Stratford, St. Marys, Kitchener-Waterloo and London. The service has provided more than 34,000 rides, with ridership edging back to what it was at its peak, Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma said.

Article content

“It’s all those things that are incorporated in that connectivity,” he said. “The tourism, education, working, medical – we just assume people have vehicles to get that done, and they don’t. If we’re really conscious about our environment, the more people we have willing to take buses, we have to change our mindset.”

Perth County Warden Rhonda Ehgoetz said the funding “underscores the crucial role of public transportation in our rural community, ensuring accessibility and connectivity for all residents.”

North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg called PC Connect an indispensable solution in the county and said it could integrate with a local transit system in the “not-too-distant future.”

“It brings workers into North Perth,” he said. “We have one of the most substantial industrial capacities in the county, and they’re always looking for workers. It’s delivering people to doors.”

Article content

PC Connect is a collaborative effort involving Perth County, Stratford, St. Marys and North Perth with support from the Ontario government, which has kicked in more than $2.4 million through its transportation grant program since the launch in November 2020. The county pays around $570,000 annually, while Stratford added $160,000 for the service to its 2024 budget.

The pilot project is set to end March 31, 2025.

“Living in rural Ontario and growing up in rural Ontario, I understand the importance of (rural transportation) and options for people who live there,” Rae said. “Rural transportation and public transportation is not just a big city concern, so working with the county and Stratford and St. Marys, we’ll continue to advocate for those support services.”

[email protected]

Article content