The City of Sarnia is considering making an 11th-hour attempt to access funding for the possible reinstatement of intercity Greyhound bus service.
Mayor Mike Bradley says he was contacted by Greyhound Canada last week and told about the province's Community Transportation Grant Program.
He says the timeline is tight to get an application together by the February 28 deadline.
"It's going to be really difficult to turn this application around and get it into the Ontario government for the end of this month, February 28, because we just found out last Thursday," says Bradley. "Council last night had a special meeting on something else and they approved getting staff to work on this. I do have the Economic Partnership and county also involved because it is a county-wide thing."
Local officials will meet with the bus company Wednesday to further discussions and staff is to have a report ready for council's February 26 meeting.
The mayor says intercity bus service, last available in the 1990s, failed because it wasn't promoted properly and the pick-up location was moved too many times.
Bradley feels the reinstatement of affordable bus service would complement efforts to enhance VIA Rail passenger service.
He says another train is needed to make rail travel from Sarnia more convenient but track right-of-way continues to be an issue with CN.
