Coaldale and District Handi-Ride shares expansion plans

By Erika Mathieu
Sunny South News

The Coaldale and District Handi-ride Association recently shared their plans for future route expansion with during a delegation before Lethbridge County council. During the April 18 regular council meeting, several association board members, including Bill Chapman, Clayton Varjassy, and Tim Weins, provided County council with a brief update on the association.

Established in the 1980s to address the need for transport services in and around the Town of Coaldale, the association closed down in 2017 due to ongoing burnout of both board members and drivers. It was revived shortly thereafter thanks to financial assistance from the Town of Coaldale. 

The board continues to meet monthly to address the growing need for transport services in the community. The board highlighted the importance of the bus service in Coaldale and mentioned their collaboration with the Town on a bus wrap. They have also been actively involved in community events such as the Summer Fest parade and the annual fall community registration.

Chapman said, “we continue to value this bus service in Coaldale and in 2021, the board saw an opportunity to thank the Town for its support and collaborated on a wrap on the back of the bus to help mark the downtown/ main street. Along with other charter activities, we have been fully open to service and being a part of the community.”

The board expressed the need for a new bus to replace the current one, which is nearing the end of its life. They mentioned a grant from the Town of Coaldale that will help with the purchase of a new bus. The board is in the process of selecting a new bus with the help of a rural transit fund. The federal funding  awarded the association with $183,000 in capital funding to purchase a new unit. As noted in the delegation, the board is going to be embarking on a strategy to identify an appropriate unit for Coaldale services as well as to transport service into the city. 

Chapman explained, “We are experiencing that the lift on this bus is nearing end of life so that is the reason we are embarking on trying to find an appropriate piece of equipment that really has the new tech and service mechanism for our communities. The big issue that we are finding is that many of our passenger’s combined weights are the lot heavier than the used to be with the new (mobility) chairs they have out now so the lift we have now really doesn’t facilitate the heavier weights. We want to actively start servicing the new recreation facility in North West Coaldale.” 

Additionally, the association is hoping to receive provincial funding for a “healthy aging” grant, which would support their operational costs. They are also seeking financial support from Lethbridge County to supplement their operational costs and expand their service area to Barnwell in the future.

“We feel as association is a vital service that allows many residents in our community both in Coaldale and the region to continue to live and age in place and we feel this is the biggest part of the concept we are wanting to achieve,”  said Chapman. 

In 2023, the association ran into a funding deficit and will require additional financial support to ensure the sustainability of their services, as requested a $500/month funding commitment from the County to help ensure the delivery of services to County residents. 

The board also discussed a potential pilot a route system in Coaldale and surrounding area with the current bus, and expressed the need to hire a manager as currently the board is fulfilling this role without permanent staff.

Varjassy said the board has narrowed down their options for a new bus; this selection will be finalized by the end of May. The was currently in use is nearing end of the amortization period. 

“The bus is still in pretty good shape but the lift is the big issue we have right now,” and said the bus has had to deny service to some users as it is a safety issue,” noted Chapman.  

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