Handi-Bus Association reports financial challenges

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Handi-Bus Association continues to face financial challenges in continuing to be able to provide their services.

Meeting with Wheatland County, representatives of the association spoke during the Nov. 12 Public Presentation Committee meeting.

“The reality is, we lose money on every trip. If things start to deteriorate, if we lose track of our finances, things could slide down pretty quickly,” said Brian Grier, finance chair with the Handi-Bus Association. “When the association was founded in 1985, its mandate was to provide transportation for those unable to use a car or taxi. Over time, not necessarily intentionally, it evolved to become transportation of seniors to medical appointments, then to all seniors.”

Between 2021 and October 2024, the number of registered clients with the Handi-Bus Association grew from 229 to 537.

Due to this, the association increased their rates, took buses out of service, reduced their number of trips, and returned to their original mandate of serving those who are mobility challenged. Following the changes, there remains approximately 250 registered clients with the association.

The association was incorporated under the Societies Act in 1986. Four years later, they received a bus grant to purchase a new bus, and several donations were received to upgrade the fleet with smaller vehicles able to carry one or two wheelchair-bound passengers at a time.

Through the Seniors Physical Challenge Trust, Wheatland County put forward $10,000 in 2020 towards the Handi-Bus Association to assist with their operating costs.

“The Handi-Bus in the county of Wheatland was originally started by the Royal Canadian Legion in Strathmore mostly to service their veterans and they ran it on a volunteer basis with buses that were capable of (carrying) five to seven passengers,” said Mark Gibeau, chair of the Association. “That served them well, but the volunteer system strained their resources. In 1985 or 1986, there was a move to start the Strathmore Handi-Bus Association. It was made up of different people from the Valley General Hospital, Strathmore and District Health Services, the Wheatland Lodge, and representatives from the Town of Strathmore.” 

Operations were previously administered by the association but were run through the Town of Strathmore. Bus drivers were also employees of the town. 

In 2021, the Handi-Bus association took over the physical operations. The team currently maintains one dispatcher, five drivers, and we have five buses on the road, and one spare vehicle.

Service is provided to the entire boundary of Wheatland County; most of the trips taken by the handi-buses are into Calgary, however excursions have also been taken to Medicine Hat, Vulcan, High River, and Drumheller.

“The Strathmore Handi-Bus Association board of directors’ goal remains that the contribution of each municipality, the other being the Town of Strathmore, is in alignment with the number of clients from each area, and that’s not as easy as it sounds,” added Grier. “Many residents of seniors facilities in Strathmore are former residents of the county, and a few are still current ratepayers.”

As the report was made before the Public Presentation Committee, no decisions regarding operations or finances were finalized at the time.