St. Marys pulls out of PC Connect, asks staff to explore local transportation subsidy

By Galen Simmons

St. Marys will withdraw from the PC Connect regional bus service at the end of 2026, with council deciding the money being spent on the service could be better directed toward transportation options tailored to local residents.

At its Oct. 13 meeting, council voted to end the town’s participation effective Dec. 31 and directed staff to complete a preliminary assessment of an internal transportation subsidy, potentially helping residents pay for taxis or similar services for trips to medical appointments, grocery stores and other destinations within St. Marys.

The decision comes while St. Marys, Stratford and North Perth are still waiting for the province to respond to a joint Ontario Transit Infrastructure Fund (OTIF) application intended to help launch an improved version of PC Connect.

The existing service connects St. Marys with Stratford, London and Kitchener-Waterloo. St. Marys contributed roughly $150,000 toward the service this year, while approximately $260,000 remains in reserve between the three municipal partners. Staff had recommended using those reserves to continue operating PC Connect until March 31, 2027, providing more time for a provincial decision and for the incoming council to consider its future.

Instead, council opted to withdraw.

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 29, PC Connect recorded 818 pickups and 843 drop-offs in St. Marys, averaging approximately four of each per service day. Coun. Marg Luna said she struggled to justify the municipal contribution given the level of use.

“I would think that money could be better spent with some kind of a transportation subsidy for people that are needing it to travel for work or medical purposes or whatever,” Luna said.

Coun. Jim Craigmile agreed, suggesting the town could potentially provide a much less expensive local subsidy for taxi trips to doctors, dentists, grocery stores and other destinations.

“I’d rather have something internal,” Craigmile said, later moving the successful motion to end PC Connect in St. Marys and have staff investigate a local subsidy for consideration during the next budget process.

Deputy mayor Brogan Aylward also supported withdrawing, saying the town has “bled a lot of money” for results he does not believe justify continuing the investment.

Mayor Al Strathdee said another factor was Perth County’s decision to discontinue its rural PC Connect route when provincial Community Transportation funding expired in March 2025.

At the time, county council chose not to pursue continuation of the rural service despite later learning it could apply for provincial funding under a model that would gradually reduce provincial support over five years.

Strathdee said Perth County’s withdrawal was a significant blow to the broader regional concept and criticized the lack of consultation with municipal partners before that decision was made.

“I believe the system could have been more efficient or saved or more attractive for the government to fund it if there was some sort of modification,” Strathdee said, suggesting an on-demand regional model may have been one possibility.

CAO Brent Kittmer told council St. Marys is the first of the remaining partners to formally withdraw. North Perth had been prepared to support extending the existing service into 2027, while Stratford staff were also expected to recommend using reserves to buy additional time.

Kittmer acknowledged St. Marys’ decision will likely undermine the outstanding provincial funding application for the remaining partners.

Council also emphasized the need to notify PC Connect users quickly. Staff will contact Stratford and North Perth and begin public communications through the town, Voyago – the transit service provider for PC Connect – and, if possible, the service’s booking system.

Stratford CAO André Morin said St. Marys’ withdrawal creates uncertainty for the future of PC Connect, particularly with the municipalities still waiting on the province’s decision on their Ontario Transit Investment Fund application.

“Without expanding the service and more time to build ridership, it will be difficult for the partners to justify the annual burden on their respective property taxpayers,” Morin said. “The OTIF grant is intended to give the funding partners the opportunity to build a sustainable system and, without the funding in place, it will be difficult for the municipalities to continue with this service.”

Morin said Stratford will meet with the remaining municipal partners to determine alternatives to the original OTIF application and the city has also scheduled a meeting with provincial staff to discuss possible options.

“Ultimately, transportation is a continued challenge in our rural communities and we are hopeful further discussions can lead to viable transportation solutions,” he said.