Thompson Valley Charters begins Kamloops-to-Edmonton bus service May 20, connecting Interior communities to many routes

After years with no inter-city bus service, residents in some North Thompson towns will soon be able to access a network of bus routes thanks to a Kamloops-based company.

Thompson Valley Charters owner Roger Nadeau said it’s been a long process to get the new Kamloops-to-Edmonton bus route set up, but he is looking forward to providing connection to these communities.

The first Thompson Valley Charters bus will leave from Kamloops’ Sahali Mall on Thursday, May 20.

“I'm really looking forward to this. It’s been a long haul,” Nadeau said.

Nadeau said he has been able to partner with Ebus, aligning bus schedules so passengers can connect with other destinations beyond his Kamloops-Edmonton run.

However, Nadeau said his main focus was providing people in the North Thompson with essential connection to bus routes.

“These people have been out of service for just about three years now. And I know all the letters I’ve sent up the valley to all the mayors and councils, they’ve backed me 100 per cent. They’re really excited about this too,” Nadeau said.

Stops along the route will include Barriere, Little Fort, Clearwater, Valemount and Jasper, among others.

Glen Desjardine, operations manager for Ebus, said they host a network of carriers, allowing smaller service providers to connect with their main routes.

“It allows smaller services to connect to one another and provide essential service to the smaller communities that we were not able to provide service to at this point in time,” Desjardine said.

Desjardine said he is proud of Nadeau and the Thompson Valley Charters team for working to make the route happen.

“It's very, very troubling times that we're in, but he is providing an essential service to the Yellowhead Highway and those up the North Thompson Valley that have been without a service for nearly three years," he said.

"We’re very proud to get that service back on the Yellowhead Highway.”

A bus will leave Kamloops each Monday and Thursday, arriving in Edmonton around 10:30 p.m. mountain time.

Each Tuesday and Friday, the bus will drive from Edmonton back to Kamloops, scheduled to arrive in the Tournament Capital at 4:30 p.m.

Information about the route stops, schedules and ticket purchasing can be found through Thompson Valley Charters’ website.