Town joins Carefor to provide transportation

Forty communities across Ontario, including Petawawa, received a Ministry of Transportation (MTO) grant to establish a transportation program for seniors and people with disabilities. The town’s share is $499,800.

With a total of $30 million to be disbursed over the next five years, transit systems will be better supported and some created to link communities that are currently underserviced. Petawawa will be working with Carefor Health and Community Services to purchase a seven or eight-passenger van, which will also be wheelchair accessible.

“Transportation is so key to ... letting (seniors) age at home and keeping them connected to their community,” said Carefor’s Community Support Services Manager Alice Grenon.

The money will also be used to hire a driver to create a door-to-door service to meet the needs of those using the service.

“Carefor is a natural partner to implement this program, having the resources and the operational capacity to administer and facilitate, not only the transportation service, but the integrated services that are needed to document extensive reporting metrics required as part of the funding reporting,” said Mayor Bob Sweet.