Provincial budgeting has hit transportation society hard

By Lawrence Gleason, Local Press Writer

The Claresholm and District Transportation Society doesn’t want to sell one of its five late-model Chrysler vans used to drive people in the Municipal District of Willow Creek and its towns to medical appointments in Lethbridge, Calgary, Medicine Hat and as far away as Edmonton.

However, with provincial budget changes cutting as much as half of its revenue, selling a van is becoming a sad option.

With that provincial funding change the transportation society is now losing about $10,000 per month.

Provincial monies used to go directly to the society but, for the last three years, that money has been directed to the provincial nursing budget and the transportation society is seeing less and less of it.

“We are looking to sell one of our vans. We really don’t want to do that,” said Howard Paulsen, chair of the society.

“We cover from Fort Macleod to Stavely. The need is seasonal,” said Paulson. “It picks up in bad weather. If the roads are bad people want to use us. When the weather is good we are needed less. But if we sell a van and the need is there again, we won’t be able to provide the service.”

The transportation society receives $10,000 annually from the Town of Claresholm and $10,000 from the Municipal District of Willow Creek, but the cost of running the service is about $100,000 annually. The service also has a van serving Vulcan County and $19,000 is provided for that service.

There are provincial grants to help buy more vans, but not for running the service, Paulsen said.

The eight-member volunteer board volunteers for bingos every three years to raise money but there are restrictions on how that money is used, too, said Paulsen.

“A lot of that money can’t be used for operational expenses.”

The transportation society service is 15 years old. It was created by Judy Paulsen, the late wife of Howard, who didn’t get to see her work turn into the service that it is now, passing away in 2002. She saw a community need and began working to fill that need which is carried on to this day.

The service has been strongly supported by businesses and service clubs that have contributed to the service over the years.

The transportation society also has a 26-passenger bus that is available for community use. But the main use is the special vans people have relied on to get to medical appointments.

The service is door-to-door.

“If someone has an eye appointment in Lethbridge and they have to start out at six in the morning, we pick them up at their door and take them there. We also pick them up and bring them back home, too,” Paulsen said.

A trip to Calgary costs $100.

“The one thing we don’t want to do is raise our fees,” Paulsen said. “We want to keep everything affordable for people. That’s the whole idea. Affordability and community service.”

To cut costs the part-time drivers, paid $18 an hour, now no longer have meals paid.

“We just can’t afford that any more,” Paulsen said.

Rent for the transportation society office is $550 per month and that seems unaffordable now. The society is seeking to “piggyback” with another renter to bring that cost down.

The full-time chief administrative officer position is vacant due to a serious illness and that position is being left as is for now.

Paulsen addressed M.D. councillors at their April 24 meeting on the budget woes of the Claresholm and District Transportation Society, but didn’t ask for more money.

“I didn’t want to come out and ask the M.D. for money. Everyone is asking them for money. But we do need a steady, reliable budget,” Paulsen said.