A new generation of riders will take the bus free of charge in Selkirk with hopes to see this change coming to more Manitoba cities in the near future. “Anything we can do to create a better environment and to help kids and citizens in general ride the transit, we’re there for them,” said Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson, on Tuesday. It’s in part due to a new pilot program called “NextStop,” that launched Monday. More than 1,700 students aged 12 to 21 in and around Selkirk now have a free transit pass waiting for them. “This is just icing on the cake now to provide this to the youth in the community,” Johannson said. On Tuesday, Premier Wab Kinew joined the City of Selkirk representatives to discuss how the pilot program will serve as a model for other Manitoba cities including Winnipeg, Brandon, Winkler and Flin Flon. The province said the hope is to have that ready as early as September. Kinew said more people riding the bus will make transit safer for all. “The hope is that a young person today will start riding the buses as a teenager and along the way we’ll keep buying more buses, we’ll keep improving the transit services across manitoba,” Kinew said. The City of Selkirk said they currently have four transit buses in operation and an estimated cost to the city is not yet known. Students at Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School said they are eager to get on board in Winnipeg too. “I will be in Winnipeg, I’ll be living there soon with university and all so that’ll be really good if I can live there and continue to be moving around and use the bus because I might not have a car when I’m out there,” said Quinn Fyfe, a student in grade 12 at the school. “I am going to the University of Manitoba, and I still can’t drive so I think it would be really helpful to have free transit out in the city as well,” said Lexi Fletcher, another student in grade 12. Meanwhile, education officials are applauding the rollout. “We really view it as a game changer in terms of removing barriers for kids and families,” said Matt Henderson, superintendent for the Winnipeg School Division. “Across the board, students are telling us that transportation is one of the biggest barriers to attendance.” “I think this is a great decision made by the government to bring services to youth in our more urban areas,” Lillian Klausen said, president of Manitoba Teachers’ Society. The province allocated $10 million in the 2026 budget to provide free transit to youth. However, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said that might not be enough for the city. “I think one of the challenges is the value may be much more than $10 million, so we’re just trying to work with the province of Manitoba and our staff so the province really understands the full cost of such a program that’s being envisioned.” The City of Selkirk notes that kids five years of age and under can also take transit for free while with a fare-paying adult. NextStop passes are available at Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School, École Selkirk Junior High and the City of Selkirk Civic Office. Buses run Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
