Greyhound bus just seems like part of the fabric of America. That’s why it is hard to imagine it not being the same in Canada. Nonetheless, Greyhound bus has announced it has permanently stopped its service in Canada entirely. Greyhound bus has been servicing mostly rural Canada for almost 100 years.

Greyhound was used to connect rural Canadian communities to larger cities

The COVID-19 pandemic is being charged with Greyhound’s abrupt pull-out. It had already stopped servicing western Canada back in 2018. Greyhound bus was mostly used as a way to connect rural Canadian communities to larger cities.

In a statement, Stuart Kendrick, senior vice president of Greyhound’s parent British transport operator FirstGroup, said, “A full year without revenue has unfortunately made it impossible to continue operations.” Greyhound Bus in the US will not be affected by the move according to Reuters. 

Greyhound USA offers express services across the Canadian border

Greyhound will resume express services across the Canadian border once the border opens back up. Right now entry is restricted due to the pandemic. But service back and forth across the border won’t extend farther into Canada. 

“We know that many Canadians depend on this service,” Omar Alghabra, the federal transport minister, said in a statement. He expressed disappointment in Greyhound Canada’s closure. He went on to say the Canadian government would help provinces find alternative operations. 

That flies in the face of recent criticism of the federal government. Critics want Canada to find better ways to connect rural areas to more urban centers. Airlines like Air Canada and Westjet have stopped service to many rural sections of Canada in recent years. So this move by Greyhound continues that worrisome trend. 

“Operations are not feasible absent of financial support”

Greyhound began service to Canada in 1929. But in recent years it had been looking for government assistance to invest in inter-city bus services. Neither the federal or provincial governments had made the investment. “Operations are not feasible absent of financial support,” the statement added. 

So, another victim of COVID-19 bites the dust. It is only the latest in a steady drip-drip of business closings the pandemic has unleashed on many businesses all over the world. Who could have imagined 18 months ago a pandemic having so much effect in so short of a time?