Next stop Algonquin Park

Ontario Parkbus Initiative now provides a regular shuttle between Toronto and several outdoor destinations

MUSKOKAN — A car has no place in the Algonquin backcountry, but until recently a highway-legal vehicle has been an essential piece of equipment for many prospective campers.
That’s because it takes more than three hours to get from Toronto to the popular provincial park and for years there was no bus service available that could shuttle people to and from.
That’s all changed now as the non-profit Ontario Parkbus Initiative will, for the first time this year, be providing a regular shuttle between Toronto and several outdoor destinations including Killarney, Bruce Peninsula and Algonquin Park.
Boris Issaev, project manager and one of the initiatives’ founders, said this is the third year they have been running shuttles as part of a pilot project but this the first year the initiative has been running with such an extensive regular schedule.
“Initially we didn’t do much promotion; the popularity was almost a big surprise to us. A lot of people said, ‘people are not going to go camping by bus. It just doesn’t make sense.’ We were skeptical ourselves at first but obviously there was demand and people are actually Googling a lot for this type of thing,” said Issaev.
Starting on June 29 and running regularly until the end of August, riders will be able to get on the bus early in the morning at several Toronto locations and be dropped off at one of several hiking, camping or canoeing access points. Ticket price varies by destination but is around $40 for an adult to travel one-way.
The first routes for the project were launched in 2010 with only a handful of buses that connected Toronto to Algonquin. Based on the success of the previous year, in 2011 they were able to expand the Algonquin service and add additional routes to other parks. This year service has been further expanded.
“When we ran pilot regular service to Algonquin Provincial Park that was very, very successful in terms of both feedback from partners and actual demand from the general public,” Issaev said. “This year we actually received a significant grant from the province of Ontario and… we’re set to grow to an Ottawa hub next year.”
Parkbus can get you to and from the key camping destinations but it will not provide you with the licenses and permits required for camping activities. Campers are responsible for their own registration at campgrounds and for acquiring the necessary equipment.
“They bring the backpacks and all the equipment they would need. We allow a limited number of bicycles per bus so it’s a fairly big bus and we are able to fit everyone. There are a couple of restrictions. Like people cannot bring firewood because there are regulations,” Issaev said.
One of the upcoming plans is the Parkbus Ambassador Program which will have volunteers available on the bus to help out any new campers who may not have much experience in the backcountry.
Norman Goh, who has used Parkbus for the last two years, said that as a recent university graduate who doesn’t own a vehicle, Parkbus is essential.
“There are a lot of people in the city who don’t have access to a vehicle,” said Goh. “We have public transit and it’s really great for getting around the city but for someone who it doesn’t make sense to own a vehicle it’s really hard to go up to Algonquin, or any of the other provincial parks for that matter, and that’s a huge shame.”
Goh said that he has never heard of anyone having any difficulties with storage restrictions while travelling on the bus. He said that even for people who have access to cars the Parkbus is often a more convenient option than driving.
“Even if you have a car there’s a lot to be said for hiking solo, and I do a lot of hiking trips solo. Driving yourself up to Algonquin you have to do all the driving and it’s a big hassle. It may not make a lot of financial sense either,” Goh said.
For more information on the Ontario Parkbus Initiative or to reserve your ticket, visit their website at www.parkbus.ca or call the toll free number 1-800-928-7101.

Small - Large
|
Print
|
Email
|
|