The Government of Canada is investing $160,000 for this project, and the City of St. John’s is contributing $40,000.

Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John’s East, Sheilagh O’Leary, Deputy Mayor of St. John’s, on behalf of His Worship Danny Breen, Mayor of St. John’s, and Sue Connor, Project Lead, Fleet Electrification for the City of Burlington and member of the Board of Directors at the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), on behalf of Josipa Petrunić, President & CEO of the CUTRIC, announced an investment of $200,000 to plan for the electrification of St. John’s bus fleet. 

The City of St. John’s will develop a multi-phase strategy to transition its Metrobus transit system to a zero-emission fleet. The strategy will include a deployment plan for zero emission buses, a risk assessment, cost and savings analysis, and identifying infrastructure requirements.

In 2022, the City of St. John’s officially committed to a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, aligning with Canada’s targets set through the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. This project is a step forward towards meeting this objective, and builds on the Resilient St. John’s Community Climate Plan.

“This is a critical step forward in plans to make healthier, more sustainable communities across the Atlantic. At CUTRIC, we’re proudly enabling Canada’s transition to a low-carbon future through informed, innovative and technology-driven solutions like electric public buses, and collaborating with forward thinking cities like the City of St. John’s and their transit partner, Metrobus, will ensure this country is a net-zero jurisdiction sooner rather than later.”, said Josipa Petrunić, President & CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing the country’s economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.