Transit Windsor expansion plan brings communities together

Wrapped in a fuzzy black blanket and pink slippers, Maryann Squance sits in her recliner, feet up and comfortable as she discusses the ease that the expanded Transit Windsor bus lines have had on her.

“Every month, I go to Windsor to visit a foot care nurse because of diabetes. I would have my daughter drive me, but she had to take that time off work,” said Squance.

Ever since the expansion of Transit Windsor to accommodate neighbouring municipalities such as Leamington, Kingsville, and Essex, it is a lot easier on Squance to receive her care without interrupting her daughter’s work week.

“Now instead of driving me 35 minutes to Windsor, she drops me off at the arena where the bus picks up. It takes five minutes, and she still has time for her lunch break,” said Squance.

People like Squance, with errands, appointments, or family members in Windsor are the main reason for the expansion. Before Leamington signed a contact with Windsor, LaSalle was the first partnership connecting the public between the cities.

“The two communities worked really well together at not only implementing it but addressing and dealing with any issues in the implementation,” said Pat Delmore, executive director for Transit Windsor.

The success of the model used for the connection between Windsor and Lasalle inspired the Municipality of Leamington to take a deeper look at the benefits of connecting its inhabitants with the downtown core.

“When Leamington received a grant from the provincial government to create a service from the towns of Leamington, Kingsville, and Essex into the City of Windsor, we had a discussion with them as well about the type of service we could provide for them based on the model that we put in place with the council itself,” said Delmore.

Ever passionate about the connection of cities, Delmore spoke even more highly of the opportunity to connect people.

“That’s what really hits home, because without it they’d have to rely on someone to take them, and that’s not always easy,” said Delmore. “Then you can talk about connecting families or connecting people to jobs or giving people the ability to go shopping or go to a show. That’s what really makes a community a better place to live.”

That’s exactly what it allowed for Squance. A small, 80-year-old woman, she stopped driving three years ago. Living alone in her home in Kingsville, her monthly trips to the downtown core were one of the only ways for her to get out of the house.

With the expansion, however, her opportunities are endless.

“Well now I can go whenever I want to downtown, without having to bother my daughter to drive me all the way there,” said Squance. “I used to love going to shows at the movie theatre, and now I can do that.”

The expansion to allow people like Squance the freedom they crave did not come without difficulty.

“You’ve got different councils when dealing with a contract and trying to find a way to provide service,” said Delmore. “You have the two cities’ councils, two layers of government that now have to come together.”

Despite the obstacle of going through different councils with different procedures and protocols, Delmore praises the teams for their teamwork.

“Kudos to both municipalities because there was such a support for what we were trying to achieve,” said Delmore. “These two councils came together very well and put the service together to make better communities.”

For Squance, the excitement of being able to visit the neighboring communities where old friends live and the expansion of the bus line within the City of Windsor for ease of access is a silver lining in her life.

“I don’t like just going into the city for an appointment and leaving,” she said. “If I can make a day of it and get out of the house, I will. And now it’s easier for me to do that.”