“STC was a vital service to so many across the province, and many are telling me that the Sask. Party’s decision to scrap and sell-off STC has left them stranded, isolated, and with no other options,” said NDP STC Critic Doyle Vermette. “The Sask. Party was warned about the consequences of shutting down and chopping-up STC but they just don’t care who is hurt by their mismanagement, scandal and waste.”
Leonard Finlayson is 68 years old, lives in Prince Albert, and used to rely on STC to see his family and grandchildren in La Ronge. Since the Sask. Party scrapped STC, Mr. Finlayson has already been forced to hitchhike several times in order to visit his family and has had to rely on additional government funding for rides to medical appointments in Saskatoon.
“Since the Sask. Party shut down STC, I have been forced to rely on hitchhiking,” Finlayson said. “I used to use STC to visit my family and get me to my medical appointments, but now, getting around in the north has become very difficult for me. People up here are feeling even more isolated than before.”
“Yes there was a cost to providing this important service. But there’s also a big cost to not providing it,” said Vermette. “We were among many who warned that Sask. Party that people would be hurt if they scrapped STC and we’re already seeing the very real consequences. Either they didn’t believe things would get this bad or they just didn’t care.”