The City of Moose Jaw will move forward with a study examining the feasibility of transitioning to zero-emission buses (ZEBs), such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The total cost of the project is $190,600. The city has already secured a grant from Infrastructure Canada’s Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) to cover 80 per cent of the cost.
On Monday night, city council approved a budget for the remaining 20 per cent, or $38,120.
The city has applied for a $38,120 grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). However, the application is still under review, and no timeline has been provided for when the city will receive a decision.
In anticipation of a possible funding shortfall, a report was brought to council on May 12 proposing contingency funding: $18,120 from gravel road maintenance, $10,000 from transportation consulting services, and $10,000 from transportation legal support.
That report was received and filed, as councillors raised concerns about diverting funds from gravel roads.
Director of Operations Bevan Harlton returned with a revised report Monday night, proposing that the $18,120 instead come from the city’s solar initiatives fund.
Councillors Dawn Luhning and Jamey Logan, along with Mayor James Murdock, expressed support for the updated funding plan with gravel roads removed from the equation.
Harlton explained that the solar funding was initially set aside for potential repairs to solar panels at the Temple Gardens Centre.
“Director (Derek) Blais' resources, or his consultants, checked those panels, and that contingency money is no longer needed to be held,” Harlton said. “So I was able to identify that funding resource.”
He added that the funds from transportation consulting and legal support are not currently committed to any projects. He also emphasized the urgency of getting the study underway, as the ZETF grant deadline is Dec. 31.
The study will be conducted by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).
Harlton said the report is essential for several reasons — notably, the phasing out of diesel buses across the industry.
“Operationally, the phase-out of diesel transit buses is happening now. We’ve potentially lost access to 30-foot buses, which was discussed,” he said. “We will be moving our mechanics, our operators and our transit fleet into some different technology with or without this funding, and we will manage that either blindly or working with CUTRIC to understand it.”
He also pointed out that funding opportunities for diesel buses are drying up.
“Moose Jaw can access funding that supports this transition, reducing costs,” he said. “Currently, there are over 80 per cent more funding opportunities for ZEBs than for diesel buses, and funding for diesel buses is expected to disappear.”
Harlton noted that the study would align with the department’s ongoing work on a Transit Master Plan.
“Without advancing this study that’s in front of us now, we’ll have to figure out a way to cover that blind spot within the Transit Master Plan or move past it without this milestone having been met — which will hurt my team two and six years down the road because we won’t have this required funding study done,” he said.
City grant writer Tanya Reimer clarified that the city applied for ZETF funding in August and received conditional approval in January, as long as it worked with CUTRIC — a non-profit organization.
CUTRIC has consulted on similar feasibility studies in more than 30 Canadian cities, including Saskatoon. Murdock praised the quality of Saskatoon’s report.
“I’m really impressed with the report that the City of Saskatoon did on zero-emission buses, and it’s a very good read,” Murdock said.
Coun. Chris Warren raised concerns and proposed an amendment that the study only proceed if the FCM grant is approved.
He questioned the project’s funding sources, its overlap with the Transit Master Plan, and the lack of a competitive procurement process.
“I still have some concerns with the project and the funding sources, and just the process in general,” Warren said.
The budget and contingency funding were approved by a vote of 4–3, with councillors Patrick Boyle, Warren and Carla DeLaurier opposed.