![['Passengers board one of the Maritime Bus vehicles in Truro on Saturday morning. At one point, there were three buses parked outside the Via Rail station on the Esplanade, which is now also serving as a bus terminal. The new service replaces Acadian Lines Bus, which used to have a depot on Willow Street. For story, see Page 3. LYNN CURWIN - Special to the Truro Daily News']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/maritime-bus-2229019.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=format%2Ccompress%2Cenhance)
One of the functions of a government is to provide essential services such as transportation systems to the public.
I am trying to keep abreast of the disaster which occurred in May of 2017 when the railway line, the only land link to the port of Churchill in Manitoba, washed out in a flood. Approximately 20 years earlier in 1997, the Port of Churchill and the CNR had both been privatized and the same year both had been sold and are now owned by Omnitrax, a Denver-based company.
This approximately 300 km of broken line meant that generations of Canadians born since Canada became a nation were stranded. I understand that negotiations are ongoing to buy back the line and port by the federal government and convey it to a group of First Nations communities to own and operate. This is the best possible solution to a wrong which never should have happened — the sale of essential government property into private ownership.
Greyhound Bus Service, was always a private company and was used many times in my youth and old age. I am very happy that Maritime Bus Service is stepping up to put forward a proposal to continue the service and I wish them every success.
Marion E. MacCallum,
Charlottetown
