NORTH BAY -- The Ontario Government is providing more travel options for passengers in the Northwest with the launch of a new bus route between White River and Thunder Bay.

The new route offered by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission will make transportation easier for communities and passengers in Northwestern Ontario by providing seamless connections from Thunder Bay to Eastern Ontario, including stops in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and North Bay with connections to Toronto and Ottawa.

It will also fill an existing service gap by becoming the only seamless, schedule passenger bus travel option from Thunder Bay to Ottawa.

Ontario Northland President and CEO Corina Moore says they continue to hear from their current passengers that this extension would be really important to them.

''One of the things that we’ve really focused on over the last couple of years is stopping at educational institutions, universities and colleges, as well as hospitals, and so to be bringing our bus service to Lakehead University and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences is a great thing for the community of Thunder Bay and it provides important connections to increase tourism,” Moore said.

The service will run six days a week and is expected to start this spring.