Saskatchewan Transportation Company

Saskatchewan Transportation Company
	An MCI bus being serviced in Saskatoon
Parent	Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan
Founded	1946
Ceased operation	May 31, 2017
Headquarters	1717 Saskatchewan Drive; Regina, Saskatchewan
Service area	Saskatchewan
Service type	bus service, bus charter and bus parcel express
Routes	27
Destinations	Over 250
Stations	Over 170
Fleet	Over 40
Website	www.stcbus.com

The Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) was a Crown corporation in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan responsible for operating intercity bus routes in the province from 1946 to 2017. Created in 1946 by an Order in Council giving the company a mandate to provide service between major urban centres and to as much of the rural population as possible, STC was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan.

The government of Saskatchewan announced on March 22, 2017 that it planned to shut down STC by the end of May 2017. Freight services were terminated effective May 19, and passenger services were terminated effective May 31.^[1]

Facilities

STC owned and operated bus depots in Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert.^[2] It also had numerous ticket agencies in communities throughout the province and served as an agent for Greyhound tickets at many of its locations. Since the closure of STC and the discontinuation of Greyhound Canada service, these facilities have since been redeveloped for other uses such as offices and retail.

Regina Terminal

Address: 1717 Saskatchewan Drive, Regina

Coordinates: 50°27′06″N 104°36′19″W / 50.45167°N 104.60528°W

Facility includes: Head office, STC bus station, STC freight terminal, Greyhound Canada service, Robin's Donuts

Opened: October 8, 2008^[3]

Saskatoon Terminal

Address: 50 – 23rd Street East, Saskatoon

Coordinates: 52°07′52″N 106°40′02″W / 52.13111°N 106.66722°W

Facility includes: STC bus station, STC freight terminal, Greyhound Canada service, Robin's Donuts

Prince Albert Terminal

Address: 99 – 15th Street East, Prince Albert

Coordinates: 53°11′57″N 105°45′06″W / 53.19917°N 105.75167°W

Facility includes: STC bus station, STC freight terminal, Greyhound Canada service

Agencies

The Saskatchewan Transportation Company worked with over 170 private companies within the province to provide local passenger and express depots to rural communities. These locations were referred to as agencies and made up the ground work by which STC was able to provide service to the people of Saskatchewan.^[4]

Services

Maintenance

The Saskatchewan Transportation Company operated Maintenance Facilities in Regina and Saskatoon, which allowed for the efficient operation of their fleet and provided an array of services to foreign fleet customers.

Saskatoon Bus Service Centre

Address: 88 King Street, Saskatoon

Coordinates: 52°08′21″N 106°39′47″W / 52.13917°N 106.66306°W

Regina Bus Maintenance Centre

Address: 9th Avenue and Wallace Street, Regina

Coordinates: 50°27′14″N 104°35′38″W / 50.45389°N 104.59389°W

Passenger

STC operated a number of routes to both urban and rural communities across Saskatchewan. Many STC passenger coaches were wheelchair accessible and all were Wi-Fi equipped.

Express

STC had a history of package delivery across Saskatchewan. Many people relied on STC to transport packages, parcels, and equipment to rural areas. While providing overnight service to many locations, STC also provided customers with door-to-door pick-up and delivery in major centres.

Charter

STC provided charter services to a number of groups and organizations every year in Saskatchewan. Many corporations, sports teams, and clubs chose STC when travelling to functions both in and out of province. Charters were available any day of the week and for various lengths of time subject to availability.^[5]

Employees

STC employed over 230 people. All In Scope employees were members of the Amalgamated Transit Union.^[6]

Closure and sale of assets

The provincial government shut down STC in 2017 as part of spending cutbacks. Ridership had decreased 77 percent since its peak in 1980, and only two of its 27 routes turned a profit. The opposition NDP criticized the shutdown, saying it would hurt rural residents who relied upon the service for parcel delivery and transportation for medical appointments in larger centres.^[7]

The company's assets were sold for $29 million, slightly more than their appraised value of $25.7 million (CAD).^[8]