Article content Sam Bonnar, a peer support worker for the Canadian Mental Health Association, runs a peer support group at Community CARES called the Women’s Empowerment Squad: “Some of them are on assistance, so they don’t have to pay for the bus pass anymore. They can just keep coming and not worry about if they have the money to get a new one. It’s really great.” Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle content‘IT’S REALLY GREAT’Article contentSam Bonnar, a peer support worker for the Canadian Mental Health Association, runs a peer support group at Community CARES called the Women’s Empowerment Squad. It’s a female support group for those 18 and over to talk about anxiety and stress in a safe space. It’s also an outlet for other mental health resources.Article contentShe said people in the group travel by bus from communities like Sydney, Glace Bay, New Waterford and Marion Bridge to meet at the Sydney Mines outreach centre.Article content“There was a lady who was buying a bus pass, and they’re $60-$75 each month,” said Bonnar. “I was a student myself, so I know you had to pay every month for a bus pass and if you don’t use it every day, it expires eventually, so you need to use it to make it worthwhile.Article content“Some of them are on assistance, so they don’t have to pay for the bus pass anymore. They can just keep coming and not worry about if they have the money to get a new one. It’s really great.”Article contentArticle content Scott Armstrong, provincial minister of opportunities and social development, addresses the crowd during Thursday’s announcement. He’s joined by, from left, Northside-Westmount MLA Fred Tilley, Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Cecil Clarke and Dorothy Halliday, executive director of the Community CARES Youth Outreach. Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle contentLAUNCHED IN HALIFAXArticle contentThe free bus pass program, expected to launch in the CBRM this fall, is based on a similar pilot project that began in Halifax in 2018 and was made permanent in 2021. The province says about 8,900 are using the program in the Halifax Regional Municipality.Article contentThose eligible will receive a Transit Cape Breton pass at no cost, and people are not required to provide proof of their transportation needs to use the program. More information about the passes will be released later this summer.Article contentAccording to the province, about 7,265 people are eligible for the program in CBRM. Scott Armstrong, provincial minister of opportunities and social development, said they expect about 1,200 passengers will take part.Article content About 75 people were on hand on Thursday in Sydney Mines for the announcement of a free annual bus pass program for those on income assistance, their spouses and dependents, and for those on the Disability Support Program. The program is expected to launch in the fall. Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle contentIn terms of cost, Armstrong believes it could be cost neutral, since his department pays for people with disabilities or who are low income to get to medical appointments with taxis and other transportation. He said in Halifax, it ended up being cost neutral and even saved his department some dollars in the end.Article contentArticle content“It’s very inclusive because everyone is going to have the same bus pass, so there’s no stigma to it,” said Armstrong. “All of those people will have access to transportation anywhere Transit Cape Breton goes.”Article content A Transit Cape Breton bus stops to pick up passengers at the corner of Main and King streets in Sydney Mines, a stone’s throw away from the nearby Community CARES Youth Outreach. Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle contentEXPAND TO SENIORSArticle contentCBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke said along with those on income assistance and disability supports, council is looking to expand the program to seniors on the Guaranteed Income Supplement and on limited income.Article content“It truly is about connectivity, accessibility and getting people moving freely within their community on a modern transportation system. … It has 100 per cent accessibility, charging stations, Wi-Fi – this isn’t the buses of old, these are the buses of today that meet the needs of today.”Article contentClarke said it’s also an investment that will provide $2.2 million in funding through the CBRM for Transit Cape Breton from the province. He said that funding will help extend the service to seniors.
Free bus passes coming for those on income assistance, others in CBRM
