The town of Petawawa currently offers a community transportation service in partnership with Carefor Health and Community Services.

By  Hazel Atkins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter North Renfrew TimesThe town of Petawawa currently offers a community transportation service in partnership with Carefor Health and Community Services.

This serves the vulnerable sector only: seniors, those with disabilities, low-income residents, vulnerable youth, and members of Indigenous communities.

In late November 2024, Petawawa council became aware of a program called the Rural Transit Solutions Fund (within the Canada Public Transit Fund), which provides grants of up to $50,000 in support of transit planning for new or expanded transit options.

Council approved a request to apply for funding to hire a consultant to look into the feasibility of expanding Petawawa’s current community transportation service to the community at large using a different service provider.

In March, Petawawa staff received word from the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities that their grant application for funding had been approved.

On August 25, council finally passed a bylaw authorizing the mayor and clerk to receive funding from the Rural Transit Solutions Fund and begin the project, which has a predicted end date of June 2027.

The municipality of North Grenville has an on-demand transit model, and Petawawa council is particularly interested in exploring something similar now that the funding is in place.

Pembroke has also recently launched an on-demand transit system.

Council proposes to use its $50,000 grant for planning and design, and will contribute a further $15,000 toward the execution of the project.