Bus service makes inroads in northwest: Kasper Transportation launches inter-community route.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: DRYDEN/SIOUX LOOKOUT

An upstart transportation company is continuing to gain ground with its mini-bus service in northwestern Ontario.

Cuts to Greyhound bus service to communities in the region fueled the creation of Thunder Bay-based Kasper Transportation to step in and fill the void.

The company was planning to expand service with a dedicated three-times-a-day run between Dryden and Sioux Lookout by the end of June.

Kristian Kuznak, general manager of Kasper Mini-Bus service, said there's plenty of commuter traffic between the two communities, heading to work, travelling to medical appointments, or spending a day shopping in Dryden.

To the east, after acquiring Porky's Shuttle Service in March, the company extended its reach along Highway 11 into Longlac and now has reached further in making a thrice-weekly run into Hearst in May to hook up with the Ontario Northland's bus service.

"(Porky's owner) Peter (Hildebrandt) had a very good reputation in the region and we wanted to make sure that people felt that wasn't going to change," said Kuznak.

"Peter was still going to provide the great service he had been providing, just under a new name. Peter now works with us and drives with us to make sure the buses run just as well as he ever did and better now with the new vehicles."

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The company is owned by Thunder Bay businessman Kasper Wabinski, who also launched a new charter air service based out of the Dryden Airport last year, before seguing into regional bus service.

Many of their riders live by modest means, but they travel in style.

The company's choice of going with four fully outfitted 16-seat and 11-seat Mercedes Sprinters vans, with leather seating and free Wi-Fi, has proved hugely popular with the riding public.

One van is equipped with a rear wheelchair access lift.

Since initially introducing service between Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout --with stops at towns in between--last summer, Kusnak said the reception across the northwest has been "fantastic."

Their promotions and prize giveaways, through their customer survey questionnaires, have been well received by all.

"Everybody's loving the service."

Ridership has been very good with consistently full buses, he added, especially on the Longlac run where on some days, "we've had to turn away people, which is never something you want to do, but it gets full."

Kuznak said new runs to other unserviced communities like Red Lake and Armstrong are under consideration.

"We're looking at all...