Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, May 21, 2007

HAY RIVER - Bus travel into and out of the NWT has been disrupted by a strike at Greyhound Canada.

On May 18, the company suspended passenger and parcel delivery in Western Canada, including its service to Enterprise and Hay River from Edmonton.

Bus travellers heading further north than Hay River or Enterprise - or coming from other NWT communities to connect with Greyhound - ride with Frontier Coachlines, a Hay River-based company.

Colleen Gagnier, a co-owner of Frontier Coachlines, said its service is still available, but it is getting no passengers or freight from the south.

From Hay River and Enterprise, Frontier serves Yellowknife, Behchoko, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson and Fort Smith.

Gagnier said Frontier has no plans at the moment to provide service into Alberta.

"It's just not cost effective," she said.

A Greyhound bus normally arrives in Hay River every day except Sunday, and departs for the south every day except Monday.

Gagnier estimates the Greyhound service would normally carry about 50 passengers a week.

The strike involves about 1,150 Greyhound employees - drivers, mechanics, terminal staff and owner/operators - represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1374.

They went on strike at midnight on May 17 to back their demands for improved wages and working conditions.