Northern transportation & access to essential services

My answer

One of the gaps I see in Marathon is transportation. We are a rural Northern community with an ageing population, and not everyone can safely or comfortably drive long stretches of Highway 17 for hours — especially older adults, people with disabilities or mobility challenges, people who do not drive, and anyone travelling in difficult winter conditions.

We are fortunate to already have regional transportation options, including Kasper Bus Lines and Ontario Northland motor coach service. Those connections matter, and I am grateful they are available. But I still believe there is a gap when residents need safe, dependable and affordable transportation to larger centres such as Thunder Bay for specialized medical appointments and other essential services.

I am particularly interested in learning from what nearby communities are already doing. The Superior Seniors Club, in partnership with the Township of Terrace Bay, operates a Community Health Travel Program that provides door-to-door transportation for eligible residents of Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Jackfish, Rossport and Pays Plat to health appointments in Thunder Bay and Marathon.

I think that is the kind of model worth exploring. Could Marathon partner with an existing program? Could we develop or support something similar? Are there regional partnerships or provincial funding opportunities that could help? I do not know the answer yet, and I would not promise a program before understanding the costs and logistics, but I absolutely believe it is worth asking the question.

This is not something Town Council can solve on its own. Council can, however, advocate for our residents and work with neighbouring municipalities, First Nations, transportation providers and the province to explore stronger regional connections.

I am also encouraged that Ontario is investing again in passenger rail in Northern Ontario through the return of the Northlander. The announced Northlander route is in Northeastern Ontario and does not currently extend to Marathon or the North Shore, so I would never suggest that Council can simply bring the train back here.

But the return of passenger rail tells me that Northern transportation is back on the provincial agenda. If there are future conversations about regional passenger transportation, better motor coach schedules and connections, medical travel partnerships, links to rail, or future expansion, I want Marathon represented in those conversations.

For people living in rural Northern Ontario, transportation is more than a convenience. It affects access to health care, independence for older adults, accessibility, education, family connections and economic opportunity.

This is one of those files where municipal control is limited, but municipal advocacy matters. My role would be to understand the need, work collaboratively with regional partners and make sure Marathon’s voice is heard where the larger decisions are being made.

For me, safe, dependable and affordable regional transportation is part of making sure people can continue to live well in Marathon across the lifespan.