Gas In Saskatoon, February 7, 2020.

Yep, I'm still around, and with a gas update for you.  Gas in Saskatoon is now 107.9 cents a litre at most locations.  However at least one gas station was closed today, the Co Op station at Centre Mall, due a supposed gas shortage due to the ongoing labour dispute at the Co Op refinery in Regina.

The Wheels On The Buses...

...are going round again in Saskatoon.  Specifically Saskatoon Transit is back in action.  Hopefully the city won't try for another lockout.  Service will be free until the end of the month, so if you've never taken the buses here before, or haven't in a long time, you might want to go for a ride or two. 

I Blame You.

I want my bus service back.  I blame you, City of Saskatoon, for it not being there.  After all you were the ones who locked out the transit workers.  I think you're trying to play games, both with city council ramming through the changes in the city pension plan, and perhaps with operating expenses for transit.  After all if there are no buses running for X days that's X days gas isn't being burned, along with whatever other expenses you pay to keep buses running for 18 hours a day.

In general I don't think the current city council has munch interest in transit.  After all the downtown bus mall has long been a source of complaints, and what has been done about it?  Pretty much nothing.  They seem more interested in ridiculous plans for when Saskatoon has a population of 500 thousand, or even a million, a situation that may never occur.   They don't seem to think that if you get things right now it makes for a stronger base for the future.

A Long Walk Avoided?

Things are looking up a bit for those of us who use the bus a lot.  Workers at Saskatoon Transit, represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 615, are currently without a contract.  The last one ended 19 months ago.  When the union announced this week that it would not accept overtime, starting today, as part of a job action the city retaliated by threatening to lock them out Monday.  Fortunately both sides have now agreed to a mediator,  and the lockout has been lifted.

Back in 1994 we had a transit strike.  The strike started when I was across town at the Mall at Lawson Heights.  I was standing at the bus mall, waiting for a bus, when a city employee showed up to let us know there would be no more buses that day.  As I result I ended up walking home, which is quite the trip.  Fortunately this was during the Summer, so it was just a long walk.  I hate to think what it would have been like  if it was Winter.  This all but certainly wouldn't have happened this time, since I would have had ample warning, and Monday is the Saskatchewan Day public holiday anyways.  But I'm sure there are others who would have had to use the bus Monday who would be in a bad spot.