Motion: Public Transit

WHEREAS growth is ongoing both in Port Stanley and along the Sunset Rd. corridor;

AND WHEREAS further growth is anticipated through the development of the Psychiatric Hospital Lands;

AND WHEREAS the majority of highschool students in these described areas attend Parkside Collegiate Institute, near but inside of the boundary of St. Thomas, limiting opportunities for extracurriculars that would result in missing school transit;

AND WHEREAS Port Stanley benefits from St. Thomas visitors, but seeks remedies to summer parking congestion;

AND WHEREAS Lyndale and Union are presently food deserts, and would benefit from transit connection to city and village amenities;

AND WHEREAS public transit between St. Thomas and Port Stanley was identified in the top five most desired medium-term initiatives according to the Port Stanley Village Association’s Community Investment Survey in 2024;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Municipality of Central Elgin direct staff to bring a report to council exploring options for public transit between St. Thomas and Port Stanley via Sunset Rd.;

AND FURTHER THAT the report should include but not be limited to:

• Service sharing with St. Thomas
• Year-round on-demand transit
• Increased frequency summertime transit.

More about this motion

I’ve tried my best to make clear within the motion what the benefits of transit in this location are, but there are so many! For Port Stanley businesses, the opportunity for St. Thomas and Central Elgin visitors to come without their cars would be a blessing in the summer. For students who can’t reasonably walk to and from Parkside, transit would create opportunities for extra curriculars. For both students and businesses, the ability of young people to travel to and from jobs in Port Stanley would be another great benefit. Another point not lost on me is how many folks I’ve spoken to in the Ward 2 community who are homebound, either by age and ability, or by lack of access to a vehicle. Although many things can now be delivered to us in the comfort of our homes, transit affords everyone the opportunity to access amenities that can’t be delivered, from luxuries like beaches and theatre to essentials like doctors or employment.

You may notice that I stipulated parts I want to see in the report but asked that it not be limited. That’s because I know transit is such a broad and interconnected matter, and there may be more staff discover that they would like to report on as they go. We could, for example, start with transit on Sunset and then explore extending it the rest of the way to Lynhurst, or there may be options considered which could include St. Thomas, Central Elgin, and even other communities. My motion sets a minimum for what we need to talk about, but the sky’s the limit.

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Decision of Council

This motion was discussed on August 11, 2025 and defeated.