District of Parry Sound wants to hear your transportation needs

Municipalities across the District of Parry Sound have partnered with the Labour Market Group and Parry Sound YMCA Employment and Learning Services to launch a district-wide transportation needs survey.

Mayor of Seguin Township, Ann MacDiarmid says she believes funding is on its way from the province to help with transportation in rural and northern Ontario.

However, in order to apply for that funding, officials need to figure out how big the need is here.

MacDiarmid says the lack of transportation in Parry Sound is affecting people’s basic needs like finding jobs and going to the doctor. 

She says it’s a problem for young people who don’t have a car or a license to get to their jobs

“Without some sort of supplemental transportation they simply can’t take the job,” she said.

Ann spoke to some of the larger resorts in the area who apparently told her they don’t interview people who don’t have access to transportation.

MacDiarmid says they believe that person isn’t dependable because they aren’t able to get to and from work.

Construction jobs for instance, in a large region like Parry Sound, could be anywhere, so without transportation, it could be impossible for some to find employment in that sector. 

She says it’s a big problem for seniors as well because they can’t afford to get to medical appointments that might be too far away. 

“They simply don’t book medical appointments and that’s not fair,” MacDiarmid says.

She suspects it’s not talked about out of embarrassment, which is why this survey is important.

Throughout our district, she says there are no busses or scheduled transportation and taxis are very expensive when you get outside of the town of Parry Sound.

MacDiarmid cited Muskoka that has scheduled transit in Bracebridge with Bracebridge transit and Bracebridge mobility and the corridor 11 bus that goes between Huntsville and Barrie.

The district-wide research initiative will seek input from the 42 000 residents residing within more than 30 municipalities and seven first nations communities.  

The survey is for the west and east Parry Sound to figure out what the current shortcomings are and is running until June 25th.

Please access the Transportation Survey by clicking on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JQTSMRD