Sault purchasing two electric buses as part of transit upgrades
The City of Sault Ste. Marie will be making some transit upgrades – including the purchase of two battery-powered buses.
City officials said it marks the beginning of the electrification of the transit fleet.
Municipal politicians and city staff in Sault Ste. Marie were joined by representatives of both the federal and provincial governments to announce a combined investment of $7.8 million in local transit on March 8, 2024. (X/Matthew Shoemaker)The transit upgrades will be paid for through a combined investment of $7.8 million – with a federal contribution of roughly $3.1 million, provincial funds to the tune of $2.5 million and the city kicking in just over $2 million.
Brent Lamming, the city’s director of community services said some preparation will be needed before the first electric bus is put into service.
“We’ll have staff trained on how to service the electric bus versus a conventional diesel bus,” he said.
“Then we’ll deploy that in a safe fashion, likely on a day shift and see how it performs in the conditions here in Sault Ste. Marie.”
Lamming told CTV News that charging stations will need to be installed at the transit garage especially as the city moves toward full electrification.
“We’ll be working together with the PUC to have a much larger power source for the facility here to convert our fleet as we move forward,” he said.
“We’ll ramp up procurement as the years come toward electrification once we have it in service here and proven to be successful.”
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the city will ensure the electric buses are able to run in all weather conditions and he suggests there will still be a place for gas-powered buses.
“This is the beginning of a transition to electric buses,” he said.
“But – we’ll be sure that the transit system can operate in all conditions moving forward.”
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Representatives of both the federal and provincial governments were on hand to tout the economic and environmental benefits of electrification.
“The more we can electrify a lot of the equipment that we use, the better it is for the environment, and the better it is for our economy,” said Sault Ste. Marie MPP Ross Romano.
“Sault Ste. Marie is leading Canada in so many ways, whether it’s the electrification of Algoma Steel, the beginning of electrification of our transit fleet,” said Sault Ste. Marie MP Terry Sheehan.
Other upgrades include the purchasing of eight accessible passenger vans and two ‘parabuses,’ which are primarily used by people with mobility challenges.
City staff said when the new vehicles will be deployed will depend on the length of the procurement process.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.