Transportation to Reconciliation? A Trip Report from Six Nations

In April 2025, GO Transit extended their route 15 to two geographies that it had never been to before: Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This fulfilled a wish that both First Nations had long asked for, and has improved access to and from the first nation to nearby cities.

On 17 May 2025, I took the new 15B route to Ohsweken, the largest population center in Six Nations both because I can, but also to understand the route from the ground. This blog post will act as a trip report for the 15B, as well as a general log for my observations taking this new route.

Background

Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR) and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) are two adjacent reserves located southeast of Hamilton. SNGR is the largest reserve in Canada by population, with more than 27,000 members, more than 12,000 of which live on reserve. For many years, the two First Nations had been asking for transit service that would connect the reserves to adjacent cities to improve access to employment and education. In late 2024, the Metrolinx Act was amended to include SNGR and MCFN as two geographies that Metrolinx was permitted to serve, facilitating the transit service. This is the first reserve served by GO Transit, but I do note that it's not the first reserve on the Golden Horseshoe transit system: YRT serves Chippewas of Georgina Island and Peterborough Transit serves Curve Lake First Nation.

GO Transit's press release notes that the new route "is part of the transit agency's dedication to collaboration and partnership with First Nations on improving transportation connections". The joint press release from the First Nations states that "members will be able to attend more...community events...and...visit and remain connected to the First Nation."

The new 15B route extends existing service from Brantford Bus Terminal to New Credit Variety and Gas Bar, with intermediate stops in Sour Springs, Sixty-Nine Corners, Ohsweken (at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre), and at the Oneida Business Park. Service operates with three round trips, seven days a week. As buses extend from Brantford Bus Terminal, passengers also have access to McMaster University and Aldershot GO.

Stops and Connections

The new 15B route serves quite a bit. Like all other 15s, it operates from Aldershot GO, with a timed transfer from the GO train (or GO bus, for the early morning trip). The bus runs non-stop to McMaster University Terminal, before serving the McMaster Innovation Park. These two stops provide connections to numerous HSR routes, which can take passengers into downtown Hamilton. From there, it uses Highway 403 to reach Brantford, providing local service through the eastern part of the city to Brantford Bus Terminal, where connections can be made to all Brantford Transit routes, including the 7, which serves Six Nations Polytechnic's Brantford campus. From the Brantford Bus Terminal stop, passengers can also walk to Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College's Brantford campuses. 

Leaving Brantford, the bus travels through Eagle Place but does not serve any stops. It does not serve any stops to the on-reserve stop in Sour Springs (at Sour Springs Road and Mohawk Road). SNGR and MCFN have populations that are quite dispersed, so the route serves clusters of population. Notably, the bus operates through Ohsweken, with a stop at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. Ohsweken is where you can find the Six Nations administrative offices, the main campus of Six Nations Polytechnic, as well as a few restaurants and services.

I got off the bus in Ohsweken to explore, as it is a town on my list to visit. I got French toast from the Village Cafe, which was very good, and I also visited the Six Nations Veterans Park. This beautiful public space features plaques about important military leaders from Six Nations, including Joseph Brant, and is centered on a monument to Six Nations members who gave their lives fighting under the Canadian flag.

Scheduling and Trip Feasibility

The bus operates three trips round trips daily. The first schedule is a weekday schedule bound for Toronto. 

The first trip from SNGR and MCFN gets to Brantford at 7:12am, which is a bit early but allows for students to get to 8am classes with ease. The bus reaches McMaster at 8:02am, which may be a bit late for some classes but is generally function. However, the generally long trip time with a connection to the Lakeshore West train means that the earliest arrival at Union is 9:45am; not ideal for work. I will comment that the intent of the route was not for commuting into Toronto, and 10am is a decent arrival time for medical appointments.

The last return trip to the reserves requires a departure from Union at 2:17pm, which is really early. This trip passes McMaster at 3:51pm, and downtown Brantford at 4:41, arriving in Ohsweken at 5:11. This might be early for some students, but could accommodate many school schedules.

The below schedule is a weekend schedule bound for SNGR and MCFN.

The first trip requires a departure aboard a train-bus at 6:40 at Union. This bus serves all GO stations heading out, and the 15B holds for this bus. However, this means getting the first trip from Toronto requires a milk run, and three hours without access to a washroom. Not great! A similar problem exists on weekdays.

While the route could be used to get to the reserve for events, as the Chief of the MCFN suggested, arriving at 9:45am or 3:35pm is not particularly compelling. It limits visits and might force a lot of downtime. I took the first trip to the reserves today, arriving at 9:45, and took the return bus at 11:45. The two hours was enough time to see the town on a quick adventure, so at least that trip could be accommodated.

Service Gaps

Building on my commentary above, I note that there are three service gaps that limit functionality of the service.

First, a think a later outbound trip on weekdays is justified. Maybe the existing 15 bus that leaves Aldershot at 6:08pm, connecting with a train leaving Union at 5pm, could be extended. This would provide an arrival in Ohsweken at 7:53pm. People could take a full day in downtown Toronto, and students could stay on campuses in Brantford a bit later.

Second, I don't like that the 15 provides local service in east Brantford but not in Eagle Place. I think that a stop should be added somewhere on the current route to improve access, maybe on Erie at Allenby. However, I have an even better idea: the route should be rerouted via Mohawk Street to serve the Woodland Cultural Centre. This site is home to a former residential school, located on an exclave of Six Nations. Serving this incredibly important destination directly by GO Transit would greatly improve access, and ensure that this dark moment in Canadian history does not get lost. The reroute, mapped below in blue, would add around 5 minutes of travel time versus the current routing (in red). Additionally, I would love to see a stop added at the Cockshutt Bridge, to improve access to a popular outdoor recreation location on the beautiful Grand River.

While the 15B serves Hamilton, it doesn't reach downtown directly. On a map, the trip from Six Nations to Hamilton forms a large 'U' shape. A trip from Ohsweken to downtown Hamilton takes 1h 47 minutes at best, versus a thirty-minute drive in a more direct route. 

Additionally, you may notice the route ends at New Credit Variety and Gas Bar, which is a mere three-minute drive to Hagersville's four corners. Haldimand County (which is not actually a county, but a single-tier municipality), which includes places like Caledonia, Hagersville, and more, has been very hesitant to allow transit in its borders. While a private company attempted a Hamilton-to-Dunnville route, it suspended service due to lack of funding. Haldimand has not requested to be included in the Metrolinx Act, creating a very obvious gap that makes trips to Hamilton circuitous, and limits access for members to reach services in Hagersville, including groceries. A trip to No Frills in Brantford on 15B takes an hour from Ohsweken, whereas the one in Hagersville could be reached in under half that.

What makes this so frustrating is that Haldimand has an extremely obvious service pattern for a simple transit network:

1. A route running every two hours from downtown Hamilton to Simcoe via Amazon, Hamilton Airport, Caledonia, Hagersville, Jarvis, and Port Dover.
2. A route running every two hours from downtown Hamilton to Dunnville via Amazon, Hamilton Airport, Caledonia, Hagersville, and Cayuga.

The two routes could be scheduled to provide hourly service north of Hagersville.

Does the Service Achieve its Goals?

Broadly, I think the 15B route does. Metrolinx's press release states that "this service extension will provide community members with access to key local and regional services like healthcare appointments, schools, and jobs." It further comments that "Route 15 connects customers to a more integrated transit network and addresses an important transportation gap with safe and reliable transit". And yknow what? Sure, it does all that. However, the lack of service in Haldimand creates a new gap to Hamilton, and while the route does serve medical needs, education, and employment, it still doesn't operate to the nearest grocery store in Hagersville. 

As my title suggests, I was going back and forth on whether this route could be seen as an action of reconciliation from a government agency, as opposed to just "collaboration and partnership", as Metrolinx has stated. I used the opportunity to re-read the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I don't think transit service expansion necessarily fulfills any of the Calls, but it assists in feeding into themes of Education, Health, and Culture.

This route was not created for high ridership, it was created as a social need, and I think that if GO maintains this service, that point would be proven.

Final Thoughts

I'm a sucker for taking transit to a new town, and so I was completely sold on this service. While I am happy it exists, and I am happy to see Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation be included in the regional transit network, I feel that there is still a lot of work to be done to actually create a functional network that accommodates any trip. I hope one day in the near future, our transit system can be improved in such a way that the two reserves are integral parts of the broader region we all share.