Tag Archives: SRD Transit Service

Transportation

From Hitacu to Tofino, new public transit service connects Vancouver Island’s west coast communities

Editors note: It has been a year since the Strathcona Regional District Board instructed staff to examine the feasibility of a weekly, or bi-weekly, transit service from Campbell River to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. This will not have served Cortes and Quadra Islands, which were allowed to opt out of the plan. While there has been periodic discussions of a Cortes to Campbell River transit system, the only vehicle to serve this route is the Klahoose Community Bus. It makes the trip twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tofino, BC – On April 2, the communities of Hitacu, Ucluelet, Tofino, Esowista, Ty-Histanis, and Tofino will be connected through a long-anticipated year-round transit service.

“The ACRD is excited that we can finally offer this essential service to residents on the west coast,” said John Jack, chairperson for the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), in a press release.  “For too long reliable public transit has been a challenge for people as they struggled to get back and forth to work, school, recreational activities, appointments, or shopping. This service will fill that void, and we look forward to connecting the west coast.”

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Politics, Transportation

B.C. rolls out rural transportation surveys but the roadmap for action is unclear

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

B.C. is examining long-standing roadblocks to intercity transportation for rural communities on Vancouver Island and other underserved areas in the province.

The province is spending $2.5 million on in-person and virtual community consultations and online surveys to study passenger transportation gaps faced by rural and remote areas on Vancouver Island and parts of the coastal mainland, as well as B.C.’s north and southern Interior. 

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Politics

SRD Board: How can electoral areas opt out of services?

Will the SRD set up a transit system from Campbell River to the West Coast of Vancouver Island?

There has been friction between some of the Strathcona Regional Districts rural areas and municipalities in the past. This was thought to have ended with the new board, but there have been a couple of recent occasions when the electoral areas felt their wishes were being overridden. In both cases, this pertained to research rather than policy.  Electoral Areas A and D were not allowed to withdraw from the feasibility studies for a proposed transit system from Campbell River to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. None of the Electoral Areas were interested in having their Fire Departments come under the administration of a proposed Fire Chief for the SRD.  

Thus at the Board’s Feb 2 meeting, Regional Director Gerald Whalley of Area A announced, “The electoral areas have come to the unanimous conclusion that we are being unfairly treated by the Board. Therefore, I move that the Board convene an open mediated service review as soon as possible. And if I have a second for this motion, I will speak to it .”  

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Transportation

SRD Board: Proposed Campbell River to West Vancouver Island Transit Service

Editor’s note added Dec 22, 2025: Director Gerald Whalley recently informed Cortes Currents that the final decision on this project has not been made.

At their February 8th meeting, the SRD Board voted to continue examining the feasibility of a transit service from Campbell River to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. 

It has been a year since staff was first instructed to pursue the matter.

Senior Manager Thomas Yates explained, “We’ve got two alternatives recommended for the board’s consideration. Option A is to look at one or more of the service levels that we’ve identified in the report, and they range from everything from twice a day to once a month in terms of the frequency of service. Option B would be, of course, that we drop this whole matter and not look into it further.”

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