Last month, I visited two beautiful towns in Eastern Ontario: Picton, in Prince Edward County, and Almonte, in Lanark County. Both communities have populations of just over 5,000 (though Almonte, within Ottawa’s commutershed, is growing), and both have wonderful downtowns full of independent stores, restaurants, and great public spaces. But you can only get to one of them without a car.
It was pretty easy to get to Picton from Downtown Toronto on a Thursday morning. Flixbus offers a direct seasonal service from Pearson Airport and Union Station Bus Terminal, stopping at Scarborough Town Centre, Whitby, and Trenton, and in Wellington, Bloomfield, and Picton in Prince Edward County. The County (which is actually a single-tier municipality) has become a popular tourism area, with visitors attracted by local wineries, art galleries, resorts, and the famous Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario, so having alternative modes of transport to get to and around the area is welcome.
As Flixbus does not operate its own buses — it partners with local coach operators — the buses do not have a consistent look. The bus on my August 20 trip, operated by Eastern Charter Inc., was a plain grey coach bus, but it was a comfortable ride. The last stop, in an unused parking lot off Picton Main Street, is across the street from a McDonald’s but is also a short walk to the downtown area. The parking lot, once used by a now-demolished church, is large enough to turn the bus around for the return trip.
Downtown Picton itself is very walkable, with regular pedestrian crossings and beautifully maintained sidewalks and street furniture. Even though there are larger retailers just outside the town centre, most storefronts are occupied by clothing stores, antique dealers, financial services, and craft shops, there is also a large independent bookseller, complete with attached cafe. Though many businesses are geared towards tourists and more affluent residents, it is not exclusively the case. The public library, a renovated and expanded Carnegie building, serves the entire community well. Discount chain Giant Tiger also thrives in the downtown area. The Regent Theatre, one of Ontario’s oldest continuously-operating theatres, has been hosting concerts, shows, and first-run movies since 1931.
Prince Edward County also offers on-demand transit service within the municipality and a weekday fixed-route service between Picton, Bloomfield, and Belleville operated by Trenton-based Quinte Transit. During the summer and early fall, additional fixed-route services operate between Belleville, Wellington, and Picton, sponsored by local wineries and tourist attractions. Bus stops are well marked, with current schedules posted at each point.
At Downtown Belleville, there are connections to Belleville Transit, which serves the VIA Rail Station and the Megabus/Flixbus stops near Highway 401 and to Quinte Transit’s Trenton service at Loyalist College. There also used to be a connection at the downtown terminal for Deseronto and Napanee, but sadly it disappeared last year.
Prince Edward County does a fine job running and marketing a transit service geared to both its residents and to visitors. It should be a model for other communities in Southern Ontario and elsewhere.
Almonte: Nowhere to go
Almonte, less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Ottawa, is another charming and busy town, full of independent shops and restaurants in heritage buildings. On a busy summer weekend, parking can be hard to find. The town, part of the municipality of Mississippi Mills, is also growing, with new residential development to the east of the historic downtown. It has just about everything that Picton has, except for a transit link.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, there was a weekday commuter bus that would shuttle workers from Almonte and Carleton Place to Ottawa and back, making several stops along the OC Transpo bus network. Though Flixbus has restored the lost Greyhound route along Highway 7 between Toronto, Peterborough, and Ottawa with stops in Carleton Place and Perth (and with a schedule that accommodates commuters), these coach buses stop at gas stations along Highway 7 and don’t serve the communities very well, unlike the commuter-centric buses operated by smaller companies like 417 Coach and Thom Transport.
As the federal government is mandating full in-office shifts again, and as towns like Almonte and Perth become popular day trip destinations, it’s time for places like Lanark County to follow Prince Edward’s lead.
Sean Marshall 