Four service-level increases were approved for GOVA Transit during 2026 budget deliberations, with amendments to increase GOVA Route 106, hiring an additional driver certification instructor and adding fixed transit service to Villa St. Gabriel also passing

Greater Sudbury seniors aged 65 years and older will have free access to GOVA Transit buses during the first Tuesday of every month, beginning Jan. 6.

A 9-4 vote of city council approved the program, at a net annual cost increase of $24,117, during 2026 budget deliberations earlier this week.

The program was championed by Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée, who also pushed for a prior effort which saw seniors receive free bus rides during Tuesdays in June. The business case approved this week added eight free GOVA Transit days to the mix and shifted them all to the first Tuesday of every month.

“The reasoning for the first Tuesday of every month as an extra pilot was to coincide with the end of the month, beginning of the month, when seniors typically get their pensions,” Labbée said, adding that businesses also typically provide seniors discounts on Tuesdays.

The goal is to help get seniors out of the house to enjoy the day out in the community, she said.

“I would love to have it every Tuesday throughout the year, but I’m mindful of budgets,” she said.

Expanding it to every Tuesday would result in a net annual cost increase of $144,704.

Just prior to the vote, meeting chair and Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh took a moment to express her opposition to the proposal.

“I know it’s a small amount of money, but it’s a principle of blanket subsidies to an age group, just because you’re over 65,” she said.

Although she said “we absolutely want to help people,” those aged 65 years of age and older are not necessarily in need, and the city already subsidizes transit by approximately $22 million.

She pointed to a Nanos Poll from last month which notes Canadians 55 years of age and younger are four times more likely to skip bills to pay for groceries than those who are older.

Statistics Canada flags Canadians aged 65 and older as the least-impoverished age group in the nation.

Using 2021 rates, 4.7 per cent of Canadians aged 65 and older were in poverty. The poverty rate was 14 per cent among people aged 18 to 24, 7.9 per cent among those aged 25 to 54, and nine per cent for adults aged 55 to 64. It drops at 65 due to pensions and Guaranteed Income Supplements.

GOVA Transit also already offers seniors certain discounts.

Seniors (ages 65 and older) and disability pensioners pay $15 for a six-ride card and $56 for a 31-day pass, where the adult rate is $20 for a six-ride card and $100.50 for a 31-day pass.

One-ride cash fares ($4) and day passes ($11.50) are the same price across the board (children four and younger are free).

“I don’t believe that seniors who typically have a month-long pass or seniors in a different economic demographic will take advantage of this,” Labbée said.

All 13 members were available for the vote, with McIntosh joined by Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer, Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann and Ward 3 Coun. Michel Brabant in voting no.

With the balance voting yes, the motion passed.

The other GOVA Transit-related business cases to pass included:


Increase service level to GOVA Route 106: This extra service route includes a westward jaunt through Val Caron and was championed by Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent. It started as a pilot project this year. The business case notes, “By facilitating reliable travel to and from employment locations, the pilot has demonstrated measurable success — including an 11 per cent increase in ridership and a 17 per cent improvement in on-time performance, reaching 92 per cent.” This represents a boost of 16 to 17 new passengers per day. This boost added $32,175 onto the tax levy.
Hire an additional driver certification instructor: This role will fill an annual training shortfall of approximately 1,143 hours per year, which city Transit Services director Brendan Adair said affects service levels. They train not only GOVA Transit drivers, but motorists throughout the city’s fleet and ensure the city retains its Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration, which the business case noted is “at risk due to a rise in enforcement infractions,” including red light and speed camera violations and preventable collisions. The city received a warning letter from the Ministry of Transportation “urging corrective action.” This added $134,308 onto the tax levy.
Add fixed transit service to Villa St. Gabriel: This adds a stop to GOVA Route 104 to serve the long-term care facility in Chelmsford, which Ward 3 Coun. Michel Brabant said is the only such facility which falls outside of the conventional GOVA Transit system. “They’ve had staff leave because of the poor bus service,” Brabant said. This was approved as a one-year pilot program from November 2026 to November 2027. Although this brings the total net levy impact to $11,876 in 2026, the year’s worth of the program is slated to cost $139,563.

GOVA Transit ridership numbers are down, with approximately 5.8 million rides projected to take place this year, a drop from last year’s record-setting 6.2 million.

This, Adair explained recently, is due to a drop in international students at local post-secondary institutions.

“We hope that there’s a level of stability in 2026 that would allow for some flatline and increased ability to forecast for the future in terms of ridership.”

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.