High River’s Handi-Bus Society is seeking community support.
The Handi-Bus is a not-for-profit service providing safe, affordable, and accessible transportation for seniors and those with physical/special needs in High River, Foothills County, and Okotoks.
“We're facing some challenges right now, mainly financial and also board membership,” said Russ Wiebe, Acting Chair of the High River Handi-Bus Society.
The society receives funding from the town, grants, fundraising initiatives, service clubs, and client fees.
“It seems like our costs are going up, and recently our revenues have been down modestly,” Wiebe said. “One of our older vans, we had to put quite a bit of money into it to keep it roadworthy. But, this year it looks like we're on the same path as last year.”
Wiebe explained that vans will have to be replaced fairly soon, and as they get older, maintenance will cost more.
With the ongoing deficits, the society believes there is enough funding to tide the service over for about a year and a half.
“After that, it's going to be a struggle to stay afloat,” Wiebe said. “We're not super fundraisers, and I don't think the board is set up for that. We're there to run the handi-bus, not to generate a bunch of extra revenue.”
The society's solution to keep the service afloat and to replace the vans is an annual injection of about $80,000 from the three municipalities that the service supports.
“That would cover operating, and it would also cover money to replace the buses,” Wiebe said.
To determine how much was needed, the society reviewed how much out-of-town bussing was done, and how much revenue came in from High River, Okotoks, and Foothills County.
Based on their findings, the society believes an additional $25,000 a year from the Town of High River, $35,000 from the Town of Okotoks, and $20,000 from Foothills County will keep the service on the road.
The society plans to approach the Town of Okotoks and Foothills County for the additional funding required.
The additional funding request will be brought back for High River’s 2026 budgetary cycle with the new town council in the fall. “Our society, we want to hang in there, do the right thing, and keep it operating,” Wiebe said.