Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System

Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System serves the Cowichan Valley Regional District in British Columbia. This system is operated by Transdev Canada under-contract to BC Transit.

System History

• Prior to opening of system, only public transit in Cowichan Valley was via Victoria- Nanaimo Intercity bus route which operated via Trans Canada Hwy, as well as limited service via Cowichan Bay Rd, and via Chemainus Rd.
• Lake Cowichan had bus service to Duncan via Vancouver Island Coach Lines (1930s-1965) then Cowichan Valley Stage Lines (1965-1978) but had been without a bus service for 15 years at time of system start up.
• May 1987- Cowichan Paratransit begins operation with one bus providing on limited demand door to door service for seniors and disabled persons.
• August 29, 1993- Conventional system begins operation with a fleet of 3 ELF buses. North Cowichan Municipality and several Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral areas initially declined to be part of the system due to public resistance to tax increases to pay for the service. Areas opting into system at start are the Towns of Duncan and Lake Cowichan, and CVRD Electoral areas A (Mill Bay), C (Cobble Hill), and I (Youbou). with the exception of service to Cowichan District Hospital, buses only pick up and discharge passengers within the participating regions. service is Monday through Saturday daytime, with one bus providing hourly service to the town of Duncan and the hospital, and one bus alternating between Cowichan Lake and South Cowichan trips. Gray Line of Victoria contracted to operate the system; Youbou Connector service contracted to Our Taxi Ltd. of Lake Cowichan.
• September 1996--Cowichan Lake Community Services takes over Youbou Connector contract.
• Late 1990s-- North Cowichan and most Electoral areas opt into the system, allowing for service expansion to North Cowichan, Shawnigan Lake, Mesachie Lake, Honeymoon Bay, and local service on Gibbons, Menzies, and Old Cowichan Lake Roads.
• 1999-2000-- System receives 5 new Dennis Dart buses replacing light duty "cutaway" buses. By 2002 fleet includes the Darts, two 35 foot high floor buses, and two cutaways retained as operating spares.
• 2005 -Parent company Laidlaw sells Gray Line of Victoria's tour and charter operations and assigns the transit contract to its Greyhound division.
• mid 2000s- Main Duncan transit terminus moves from E & N train station on Canada Ave. to Village Green Mall.
• 2006- service to Crofton and Chemainus added.
• 2007- Firstgroup buys Laidlaw including Greyhound Canada
• 2007- Two of the system's Dennis Dart buses destroyed by fire.
• 2008- Cowichan Commuter service introduced,
• c. 2009- Routes 2 and 3 extended to new Cowichan Commons Shopping complex. To facilitate new service within the existing operating budget other services are cut, including cancellation of 1 Gibbins route, 7 Cowichan Lake route is cut back to Lake Cowichan Town Centre (leaving the Youbou connector bus to cover both Youbou and Honeymoon Bay) and trips routing to Mill Bay via Cobble Hill Road are eliminated.
• 2011- 5 Eagle Heights route serving Glenora and Mission reserves introduced as Cowichan Tribes officially becomes an active partner in the system.
• 2012- Ladysmith routes introduced.
• March 9, 2020 - A new dedicated transit operations and maintenance facility opens, replacing property previously leased from maintenance contractor Berk's Intertruck.
• April 1, 2021 - operations of routes 20, 21, and HandyDART service taken over by First Canada.
• January 2022- Becomes the first transit system to receive the 2nd generation of NextRide.

Routes

Current

• Duncan/North Cowichan routes:
  • 2 Mt. Prevost
  • 3 Quamichan
  • 4 Maple Bay
  • 5 Eagle Heights
  • 6 Crofton-Chemainus
• South Cowichan routes:
  • 8 Mill Bay via Telegraph Rd / Duncan via Shawnigan Lake
  • 9 Mill Bay via Shawnigan Lake / Duncan via Telegraph Rd
• Cowichan Lake area routes:
  • 7/7X Cowichan Lake
  • 20 Youbou Connector
  • 21 Honeymoon Bay Connector
• Ladysmith routes:
  • 31 Alderwood-Ladysmith
  • 34 Ladysmith-Chemainus
  • 36 Ladysmith-Duncan Express
• Cowichan Valley Commuter routes:
  • 66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria Express
  • 99 SVX Shawnigan Lake- Victoria Express
• Nanaimo-Cowichan Valley Express route: (operated by Regional District of Nanaimo Transit System)
  • 70 NCX Nanaimo – Cowichan Express

Former

• Duncan Routes
  • 1 1993- c.1994
  • 2 1993- c.1994
  • 3 1993- c.1994
  • 4 1993- c.1994
  • 1 Gibbons c. 1999- late 2000s
  • 2/3 Night Route c. 1999- late 2000s
• South Cowichan routes:
  • 5 Cobble Hill 1993- late 1990s
  • 6 Mill Bay 1993- late 1990s
  • 8 Shawnigan Lake late 1990s-2008
  • 9 Kerry Park late 1990s-2008
  • 10 Cobble Hill late 1990s-2008
  • 11 Mill Bay late 1990s-2008
  • 12 Shawnigan Lake via Cobble Hill 2008-2009
  • 13 Shawnigan Lake via Mill Bay 2008-2009
  • 14 Cowichan Bay-Mill Bay via Cobble Hill 2008-2009
  • 15 Cowichan Bay-Mill Bay via Arbutus Ridge 2008-2009
  • 16 South Cowichan 2008-2009.
  • 10 South Cowichan Connector 2009-2015
  • 12 Shawnigan Lake 2009-2015
  • 15 Mill Bay 2009-2015
• Ladysmith routes:
  • 31 Colonia 2013-2016
  • 32 Forest Field 2013-2016
  • 33 Waterfront 2013-2016
  • 34A Coronation Mall 2013-2016
  • 34B Westdowne 2013-2016
  • 35 Ladysmith-Chemainus 2013-2016

• Commuter Routes
  • 44 Victoria / Duncan

Fares

Current

Facilities

Garage/HQ

• Address: 5271 Boal Rd, Duncan, BC V9L 6W3
• Email: byoung@farwestvic.com
• Phone: 250-746-9899

Active Roster

Conventional

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
3006		2013	Grande West	Vicinity 27.5'	Cummins ISB	ZF 6HP504C
4017-4022		2017	Grande West	Vicinity 30'	Cummins B6.7	Voith D864.6
4431-4432		2017	Grande West	Vicinity 35'	Cummins B6.7	Voith D864.6
4471-4474		2018	Grande West	Vicinity 35'	Cummins B6.7	Voith D864.6
9290-9291, 9293-9297, 9300		2008	Nova Bus	LFS Suburban	Cummins ISL	Voith D864.5	Used on Commuter runs between Duncan/Shawnigan Lake and Victoria. 9300 transferred from Pemberton Valley in November 2011 to replace 9292.

Community Bus

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
2730-2731, 2748		2020	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOF 27	GMC Vortec 6.0L		2730-2731 are for use on 31, 34 & 36 (Ladysmith)
2842-2844		2022	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOF 27	GMC Vortec 6.0L		For use on routes 20 & 21 (Lake Cowichan)

HandyDART

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
2671		2018	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM 28	GMC Vortec 6.0L
2718-2722		2020	Chevrolet Girardin	4500 Micro Bird/G5	GMC Vortec 6.0L
2910		2024	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOF 27	GMC Vortec 6.0L

Transferred/Retired Roster

Conventional

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
0002, 0007		2000	TransBus	Dart SPD (35')/Pointer 2	Cummins ISB	Voith D823.3E	Transferred from Whistler c.2010.
0109, 0114		2001	TransBus	Dart SPD (35')/Pointer 2	Cummins ISB	Voith D823.3E	0109 damaged by fire and retired. 0114 transferred from Kamloops.
0229		2002	TransBus	Dart SPD (35')/Pointer 2	Cummins ISB	Voith D823.3E	Transferred to Victoria for storage in 2008.
610		1991	Orion	Orion V 05.501	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	Voith D863.3E	Transferred from Victoria. Transferred to Campbell River.
762		1966	GMDD	TDH-4519 New Look	Detroit Diesel 6V71	Allison VH9	Transferred from Victoria in 2000. Transferred to Victoria in 2006.
3005, 3011		2013	Grande West	Vicinity 27.5'	Cummins ISB	ZF 6HP504C
6777		1981	OBI	Orion 01.504	Detroit Diesel 6V53N	Allison MT-643	Retired in March 2006.
8903		1989	MCI	TC40-102N Classic	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	Allison V731	Equipped with Telma 4 Stage retarder. Transferred to Victoria in April 2009.
8907-8908		1987	GMDD	TC40-102N Classic	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	Allison V731	Equipped with Telma 4 Stage retarder. 8907 transferred to Nanaimo.
8915		1989	MCI	TC40-102N Classic	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	Allison V731	Equipped with Telma 4 Stage retarder. Used for parts after accident in 2008.
8922		1988	MCI	TC40-102N Classic	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	Allison V731	Transferred from Victoria in April 2010 as temporary replacement for 9292. Replaced by 9300 in November 2011.
9054-9055, 9057, 9061		2000	TransBus	Dart SPD (35')/Pointer 2	Cummins ISB	Voith D823.3E	9054-9055, 9061 transferred from Victoria. 9057 transferred from Kamloops. 9057 damaged by fire and retired.
9081-9082		2001	TransBus	Dart SPD (35')/Pointer 2	Cummins ISB	Voith D823.3E	Transferred from Prince George in 2012.
9292		2008	Nova Bus	LFS Suburban	Cummins ISL	Voith D864.5	Used on Commuter runs between Duncan/Shawnigan Lake and Victoria. Involved in head-on collision in April 2010 and retired.
9919-9922, 9928-9929, 9945		1999	Dennis	Dart SLF (30')/Pointer 2	Cummins ISB	Allison AT-545

Small light duty Conventional and Community Buses

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
C577		1996	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar III			Assigned to Cowichan Valley Conventional. Used occasionally as back up for Cowichan Valley Paratransit's bus.
C610 C612-C613		1992	International	Arrow III			used in Conventional service C610 transferred from Kelowna. C612-C613 transferred from Nanaimo. C612 retained as operational spare after arrival of Darts in 1999.
C705-C707		1992	Ford Overland	E-450 ELF 125			Listed on BC Transit rosters as built by Dynamic Specialty Vehicles The first three buses assigned to the new Cowichan Valley Conventional system in 1993 retired by 1996.
C712		1996	Ford Overland	E-450 ELF 125
C830		1998	Ford	Professional			No w/c lift. Assigned to Youbou Conventional.
L097		1998	Ford	E-350			No w/c lift Vehicle owned by Cowichan Lake Community Services. First bus operated on the Youbou route after CLCS took over the route from original contractor, Our Taxi of Lake Cowichan. Assigned to Youbou Conventional.
C983		2005	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar V
2134		2008	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar V			Assigned to Youbou.
2236		2009	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar V			Assigned to Youbou.
2385-2386 2393, 2422 2447		2013	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM28D	GMC Duramax 6.6L		2385-2386 assigned to Ladysmith. 2422 transferred from Squamish in 2017; assigned to Ladysmith. 2393, 2447 assigned to Youbou.
2474, 2551		2014	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM28D	GMC Duramax 6.6L		2474 assigned to Youbou. 2551 transferred from Summerland in 2018.
2638		2016	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM28G	GMC Vortec 6.0L		Transferred from Salt Spring Island.
2749-2750		2020	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOF 27	GMC Vortec 6.0L		Transferred to Salt Spring Island in May 2023.

Paratransit and HandyDART

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
C555		1996	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar III			Transferred from Sunshine Coast Paratransit. Assigned to Cowichan Valley Paratransit. Possibly retired before service replaced by HandyDART.
C608		1991	International	Arrow III			Assigned to Cowichan Valley Paratransit.
2057		2006	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar V
2092-2093 2115		2007	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar V
2203		2009	Ford CBB	E-450 Polar V
2379,2442 2445		2013	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM28D	GMC Duramax 6.6L
2508, 2554		2014	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM28D	GMC Duramax 6.6L
2593		2015	Chevrolet Arboc	4500 SOM28D	GMC Duramax 6.6L