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Bus service for Ontario parks

Posted by Robyn Urback / June 2, 2010

7 Comments


There's now regular summer bus service to Algonquin and other parks north of Toronto. Starting in July, a new initiative called Parkbus will be toting Torontonians from the city to popular Ontario parks.

The non-profit program makes province parks accessible to carless city dwellers or those seeking sustainable transportation alternatives. The pilot project will offer trips to and from Algonquin Park in July ($42+HST for one-way, $84 round-trip).

The initiative is supported by the province and was developed in partnership with Mountain Equipment Co-op, Ontario Parks and Algonquin Park.

Outdoor enthusiasts can click here for more information on routes and schedules.

Discussion

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Nat / June 2, 2010 at 03:16 pm
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hmmm sounds like a good idea in theory but as someone who's camped from the age of 2, it's best when you have your car with you to carry all your camping gear, food and transporting wood.
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Jason / June 2, 2010 at 04:52 pm
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@Nat: Seems the bus service is aimed at people who are who going hiking or canoeing into the interior, so they will be travelling light. (And, seriously, you transport wood from the city?)

It's a neat idea. I just wish the bus went somewhere other than algonquin.
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seanm / June 2, 2010 at 05:38 pm
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Haha, $84 round trip? For the privilege of having to be on a bus? I'm sticking with the car.
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jakie / June 2, 2010 at 06:43 pm
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@seanm $84 is expensive?? Toronto-Huntville bus is $96+HST and that's a shorter trip

I hope they keep this thing up until August my girlfriend always wanted to go there and we have no car!!
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todd lucier / June 7, 2010 at 08:46 pm
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Sure the bus to Algonquin Park is great. So is the train to Algonquin Park. In fact, we've been offering bus and train transportation to Algonquin Park for our guests for over a decade. Algonquin Park is much more than the highway 60 corridor. The interior of the park is accessible via Ontario Northland bus and train service if anyone wants to venture into the park interior away from the crowded highway 60 corridor.

We are however delighted at the great prices the Ontario government has helped subsidize to get folks onto buses and into the park. We've been subsidizing public transit to the park ourselves to make it easy for Torontonians to experience nature in Algonquin Park from the bow of a canoe on guided canoe trips.
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Pim Delfgou / September 2, 2010 at 09:23 pm
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Great to have a bus to a prime canoeing and camping area. Till now, only Wawa and Elliot Lake, two communities plunked in the wilderness had backcountry camping right outside the community and accessible by bus, and even then, getting everything together was a do-it-yourself proposition. It's nice to have the bus to Algonquin Park, rent canoes and camp gear and paddle off. This service should be expanded by adding Temagami and Lake Superior Provincial Parks to the mix.
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vlabadaboum / August 19, 2011 at 12:31 pm
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Coming from France, I'm visiting Ontario and I am happy to discover this possibility to see Algonquin Park as I don't have a car. I just wanted to know if these buses are just avalaible during the week-end or is it possible to get tickets over the week? Thank you in advance for your amswer
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