Residents are getting out and connecting thanks to the QuestBus

By Michele Poirier

The QuestBus is gaining popularity, with many successful trips completed and others in the works, after the program faced roadblocks during the pandemic.

The program is a partnership between the Town of Georgina, Georgina Trades Training Inc. (GTTI) and Routes Connecting Communities, and is funded by the Ministry of Transportation.

“It’s been a bit of a success story in terms of allowing people to connect, even though we’re still in a pandemic,” Niv Balachandran, Executive Director of Routes Connecting Communities, said.

She said the program started two years ago, but when the pandemic hit, it delayed their plans.

“The intention of the project was to utilize the bus to provide free trips to residents who are low income or socially isolated. But also to utilize the bus to provide chartered services for organizations and businesses, and to connect people locally,” Balachandran said.

“This year, we’re still in the pandemic, but we were able to get into recovery mode. We’ve been able to provide a lot of trips for people.”

The bus will pick residents up from their homes, drive them to the planned location, and then drive them home.

“It’s for residents who experience barriers or challenges for traditional transportation; those could be various reasons. We do have a lot of seniors who use the bus, but also people who experience other barriers who might need a trip like this,” she said.

Their most recent trips were to Ripley’s Aquarium and Vaughn Mills Mall, and since they go in a group, they are usually able to get discounted rates or discount booklets. They also run a weekly trip to Keswick Walmart.

The bus is accessible and allows those in power chairs and those with walkers to board. They are also following COVID-19 safety procedures and only allowing 10 on the bus, one person per row, with protective barriers, mask requirements and screening prior to the trip.

She said one of the most popular trips was a trip to the Georgina Military Museum. Many of the visitors said the trip was an exceptional experience to learn about local history.

They also ran a shop local trip to support local businesses that have been struggling during the pandemic. It is a trip, Balachandran said, they would like to run more often, if there is interest.

One way they utilized the bus during the pandemic, was as a way to do large food pantry deliveries. Instead of Routes volunteers taking their individual cars, they would load the bus up and deliver 20 deliveries at once.

Balachandran said they are currently working on a project in partnership with Jericho and Clearwater Farms to use the QuestBus to bring students from local public schools to the farm to learn about farming and sustainable food.

For more information you can email info@routescc.org or to book a spot on the bus for an upcoming event you can call (905) 722-4616.