JASON SETNYK
Mayor Justin Towndale’s attempt to use strong mayor powers to push Sunday transit service through City Council sparked a lengthy debate March 23 before his bid was defeated and a revised version passed unanimously.
Bylaw 2026-33 was brought forward under the mayor’s special authority, which allows certain bylaws tied to provincial priorities to pass with more than one-third of council voting in favour.
The bylaw stated that city staff should “immediately take steps to implement the successful operation of Sunday Transit Service” and later report back on costs, operations, and 2026 and 2027 budget impacts.
“It’s a service we need to provide”
“I’ve been hearing about this since I was elected in 2014,” said Towndale. “It’s a service we need to provide to our residents.” He said residents have told him they struggle to get to work on Sundays because taxi fares can eat up the first several hours of a shift, particularly for lower-wage workers.
He also said some employers have indicated expanded Sunday service could support staffing and productivity.
Councillor Carilyne Hébert strongly supported the proposal, calling it “the thing I hear the most from residents,” and saying “the week doesn’t end on Saturday for most folks.”
Still, Hébert questioned the use of strong mayor powers to advance something she believed council would likely support through the regular process. “I truly believe that this, if this had come to council through the regular process, would have received full support of council,” she said.
“It matters for transparency, it matters for collaboration.” Hébert warned that concentrating decision-making in the mayor’s office could have a chilling effect on future municipal politics.
“If people feel their voice at the council table is diminished, it may discourage people, good people, from running for council in the future,” she said.
Councillor Todd Bennett said he supported the concept, but not “going into this blind.”
“I have no idea what this is going to cost,” Bennett said, adding that if reserves were used this year, taxpayers would feel that pressure again in the next budget cycle.
Councillor Dean Hollingsworth echoed those concerns, saying council needed basic answers before committing. “I think it is incumbent upon us as councillors to know how much it’s going to cost,” he said. He also wanted details on frequency, hours of operation, staffing, and whether Sunday service would resemble regular fixed routes or a reduced model.
Councillor Fred Ngoundjo said he supported the idea in principle, but was uneasy approving spending without the numbers. “I have a hard time to spend money without knowing where I’m going to,” he said. Ngoundjo also wondered why this wasn’t presented during the recent budget.
Councillors Sarah Good and Bennett also focused on the wording of the bylaw, particularly a clause directing staff to “immediately” take steps to implement service. Good asked whether that meant buses would be running next Sunday, or whether staff would simply begin the work needed to assess and plan a rollout.
Towndale replied that it would not mean immediate launch, but immediate action toward implementation.
Administration reinforced that point while cautioning that significant work remains.
CAO Tim Mills said the main concern was ensuring Sunday service is introduced “without unintended consequences” related to labour relations, budget pressures, accessibility, and operations.
He said costs had not yet been quantified and would include operator wages, Sunday premium pay under the collective agreement, dispatch, maintenance, and supervisory needs. Deputy CAO and Fire Chief Matthew Stephenson said Watts Consulting is already completing Cornwall’s transit master plan and that public consultation sessions are scheduled for April 22, 23, and 24. He said the consultant has already identified Sunday service as a priority, but staff still needs that public input and expert analysis to define the level of service and associated cost.
Councillor Claude McIntosh referred to longtime transit manager Len Tapp, who had taken a cautious approach and previously warned about issues such as staffing, fuel, and wear and tear on buses being on the road an extra day a week. Towndale responded that “the previous manager is not here anymore,” and said current transit manager Jean Marcil supports Sunday service. Tapp retired in 2022 and passed away in early 2023.
In the end, only Towndale and Hébert voted in favour of the original bylaw, well short of the four votes needed under strong mayor rules. The motion was defeated.
Bennett then introduced a revised motion that kept the reporting requirements but removed the clause ordering staff to immediately begin implementation.
That amended motion passed unanimously, meaning council will now receive a report on the logistics, service model, and cost of Sunday transit before deciding how to proceed at an upcoming meeting.
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