Manitoba First Nation buying old Greyhound depot in Brandon, restoring bus service

A Manitoba First Nation is hoping to bring bus service back to Brandon.

Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation, located near Birch River, Man., said it has purchased the former Greyhound bus terminal in Brandon and plans to restart service.

Chief Elwood Zastre said the new route would link communities as far northwest as Swan River and Dauphin with Brandon and Winnipeg.

“It gives our people a chance to travel back and forth from the north to the south, for doctor appointments, business, whatever you need to do,” he said.

He said adding a stop in Brandon makes sense.

“A lot of our medical appointments are in Brandon, and a lot of our First Nations people live in Brandon and also in Winnipeg.”

In addition to being a bus terminal, Zastre said they’re hoping to add a restaurant, pharmacy and VLTs to the space.

Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation has purchased the former Greyhound terminal in Brandon, with the goal of soon restarting bus service from there to multiple communities. (Submitted photo)

Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation operates Mahihkan Bus Lines, which will service the routes. Greyhound shuttered its routes across Manitoba in 2018, and the First Nation purchased the Brandon depot in 2019.

Zastre said the First Nation is waiting for permits to begin renovating the building, with the goal of getting the bus service running soon after.