Prince Albert City Council has approved a seven-year contract with First Bus ULC that is expected to bring new accessible buses to the city and extend Saturday service.
Council approved the 2026 to 2033 agreement during Monday’s regular meeting. The motion also authorizes the mayor and city clerk to sign the agreement and directs any savings from the 2026 transit operating budget into the public transit reserve at year-end to help offset the 2027 budget increase.
The agreement includes 11 new accessible, low-floor, 35-foot diesel buses. The first buses are expected to begin arriving in early 2027.
The contract follows several difficult years for Prince Albert Transit. The City’s earlier Vicinity buses were removed from service in 2021 because of frame cracking, leaving the City to rely on temporary and leased buses to keep service running.
Ward 2 Coun. Troy Parenteau said in an interview before the meeting that the current buses are not meeting the needs of residents.
“The number one thing is the buses that we’re running here in the city,” Parenteau said. “We know they’re older, that they’re not fitting the needs of our citizens.”
Parenteau said low-floor buses are important for seniors and residents with mobility challenges.
“The low-floor entrance buses allow the seniors to get on easily, without injury, with stability and with dignity,” he said.
The agreement also includes additional service hours, including extended Saturday service. Parenteau said that matters for people who rely on transit to get to work, appointments, school, and shopping.
During Monday’s meeting, Coun. Blake Edwards said he understood the need for new buses, but questioned the size of the increase. Edwards noted the transit budget is expected to rise from about $2 million in 2026 to about $4.3 million by 2031.
“I’m struggling with this,” Edwards said. “This is massive increase.”
Edwards asked how the City would make up the difference, whether transit fares could increase, and whether federal funding would help cover the cost.
Anna Dinsdale, the City’s community safety and well-being manager, said recent federal transit infrastructure funding is for capital infrastructure projects. She said it will help the City review its transit system and plan for future needs, including fleet, shelters, and other infrastructure.
“We’re not in a position right now to purchase our own or to build that infrastructure,” Dinsdale told council.
Dinsdale said administration is looking at options to help offset costs, including onboard and offboard bus advertising. She also said added hours could help increase ridership in a targeted way.
She acknowledged the budget impact, saying there is “no two ways about it” that the City is seeing a significant increase to the transit budget.
Edwards also asked who would be responsible if the new buses had frame problems. Dinsdale said the contractor would be responsible for the duration of the lease.
Coun. Daniel Brown said he could not support the contract. Brown said he preferred the option of the City buying its own buses and asked whether the City is legally required to provide bus service. Dinsdale said she was not aware of any legislation requiring it.
“I’m more in favour of the option to the recommendation, so for that rationale, I’m going to be voting against this motion,” Brown said.
The decision also follows months of public concern around transit reliability and accessibility. In December, riders raised concerns with the Daily Herald about cold-weather disruptions, route changes, unreliable live tracking, and cleanliness, while residents at a recent accessibility meeting pointed to barriers involving transit, bus stops, shelters, sidewalks, snow clearing, and communication. City staff have said federal transit and active transportation infrastructure funding will support a broader review of transit and related infrastructure.
Parenteau said reliable transit is needed in Prince Albert.
“What we have going right now isn’t working, and we know that we need to have transit in the city, reliable transit,” he said.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
