For the better part of two decades, Fergus-Elora Senior Trans has provided wheelchair accessible transportation to those living in Fergus.
And starting on May 31, the not-for-profit organization – a cooperative between the Fergus Legion, Fergus-Elora Rotary Club, the Lions Club of Fergus and St. John’s Ambulance – will be expanding its services to nearby Elora and Salem.
“I believe there is a need for this service,” said Brian Bielby, past president at the Legion and spokesperson for Fergus-Elora Senior Trans.
“One of the major needs in this community is for wheelchair accessible transportation.” He thinks seniors and individuals in wheelchairs will “come out of the woodwork” once word spreads of the larger service area.
“We want to try and get the word out to the community that we’re expanding,” Bielby said.
Fergus-Elora Senior Trans currently operates in Fergus on Wednesdays, offering rides from nursing homes or private residences to a variety of local destinations and back.
Bielby noted most people take advantage of the service to attend routine appointments or run errands.
“It’s more like a social outing for them,” he said, adding the organization allows individuals who otherwise would not leave their homes to get out and socialize and remain independent and active.
The same service and benefits will be enjoyed on Tuesdays by those living in Elora and Salem, starting on May 31.
The move is facilitated by a new $80,000 vehicle secured by the organization, thanks in large part to an anonymous benefactor who donated $65,000 towards its purchase.
“Without that we wouldn’t have a new bus,” Bielby said.
The new vehicle also allows the group to once again offer services to those in wheelchairs. The old vehicle’s wheelchair lift has not worked properly for the last five years or so, Bielby explained, so that makes the new vehicle even more important.
Anyone interested in the service can pick up a schedule and driver contact list at the Victoria Park Seniors Centre or the Community Resource Centre, both in Fergus, or call Bielby at 519-843-5662.
