Fort Macleod Handibus Society received a welcome investment Thursday from the provincial government.
Livingstone-Macleod MLA Roger Reid delivered a $38,000 Community Initiatives Project (CIP) grant.
The money aids the handibus society in the purchase of a new MoveMobility P5 Handibus to replace the aging vehicle in use at present.
“The handibus in Fort Macleod has become an essential service,” society vice-president Bruce Robertson told Reid at the G.R. Davis Administration Building. “Many people in Fort Macleod depend on the handibus to get around.”
The handibus society reviewed its operations and determined it would order a different vehicle than the one that has been in use for more than a decade.
“We find the bus we need is a smaller one that is more suited to our needs,” Robertson said.
The new handibus, which has been ordered, will have room for two passengers in wheelchairs and seven other riders.
“It will be more user-friendly,” Robertson said.
Although it has been ordered, there is no time line for the arrival of the new handibus.
Its delivery is dependent on the availability of the computer chips that are essential to all new vehicles.
The availability of those electronics has been slowed for two years by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robertson said the handibus society’s purchase of a new bus was aided greatly by two donations totalling $50,000 made by Jack Cuppen and his family.
The Cuppen family made the donations in memory of their mother, Jean (Cuppen) Sinclair, who lived in Fort Macleod for about 65 years, working at the hospital as a nurse.
Jack Cuppen made the two $25,000 donations on behalf of his siblings Joyce Widmer, Nolan Cuppen, Doug Cuppen and Nony Orr.
In 2019 the handibus provided 7,006 rides, of which 1,267 were for people using wheelchairs.
That compares to 6,740 rides in 2018, of which 1,253 passengers were using wheelchairs.
The pandemic forced the society to park the handibus but as public health restrictions ease, more people are using the handibus again.
“We appreciate what you guys do for this community,” Reid said. “There’s an ongoing theme of trying to do more to support seniors to stay in their own homes, and you guys are a big part of that.”
The grant came with a letter from Alberta Culture Minister Ron Orr.
“As minister of culture, I am extremely honoured to support the work of nonprofit organizations that aim to foster healthy, vibrant communities across Alberta,” Orr wrote. “Alberta’s government is proud to support organizations that improve the quality of life in our communities.”
Fort Macleod Handibus Society vice-president Bruce Robertson accepted a $38,000 Community Initiatives Program grant on Thursday from Livingstone-Macleod MLA Roger Reid. The money will help fund the purchase of a new handibus.
