First wave of eligible students snap up more than 18,000 free annual Winnipeg Transit passes

More than 18,000 free Winnipeg Transit passes have been handed out to Grade 11 and 12 students so far as part of a provincial pilot program, the NDP government announced Thursday.

Schools started distributing annual youth passes (valid until Aug. 31, 2027) to those students this week, with children in grades 6 to 10 next in line as part of a staggered rollout.

“This youth pass can be used to get to school, to get to work, to visit your friends and, really, anything that you want to do,” Education Minister Tracy Schmidt told reporters at Grant Park High School Thursday.

City of Winnipeg spokesman David Driedger said 60,000 passes have been sent to schools. Winnipeg Transit initially planned for about 30,000 passes.

No student will go without a pass, if demand exceeds the existing supply, Premier Wab Kinew said.

Provincial cabinet communications director Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey said 18,682 passes have been distributed to Winnipeg students in grades 11 and 12 so far.

Grade 9 and 10 students are scheduled to begin receiving bus passes the week of Sept. 21. Students in grades 6 to 8 are expected to begin receiving theirs the final week of September. Some divisions require parents or guardians to fill out a consent form before a pass is issued.

Free passes will be available to youth aged 11 to 17, and high school students aged 18 to 21. Winnipeg Transit’s existing policy provides free travel for children aged 11 and under who are accompanied by a fare-paying customer.

Kinew and Schmidt said 21,000 Manitoba students have received free transit passes so far, when all participating cities are included.

The City of Winnipeg said riders should plan ahead for their trips and expect buses to be busy. Police, Transit inspectors and community safety officers will be present on main routes that serve middle and high schools, the city said.

In June, Winnipeg Transit said the program’s estimated cost in Winnipeg will be $16.5 million in the 2026-27 school year (September to June). The province budgeted $10 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year (April to March) for the pilot, which includes Brandon, Flin Flon, Selkirk and Winkler. Passes have not yet been distributed in Winkler.

Kinew and Mayor Scott Gillingham insisted the province and city will work together, while fielding questions about a potential funding gap in Winnipeg when the fiscal year ends.

Gillingham said meetings will be held regularly to discuss ridership numbers and any necessary resources or adjustments.

“If we see one or two schools get a big, big uptake and we need to supplement some of the buses in that area, we’ll do that,” he said.

Kinew and Schmidt told reporters a family with two children would save more than $1,300 a year based on the cost of a monthly youth pass. The province later sent a correction, with a revised monthly cost, that said the annual savings would be more than $2,100.

Tory education critic Wayne Ewasko said the government’s math “is off” because the overall value of the free passes being distributed to Winnipeg students exceeds Transit’s $16.5 million estimate.

“It doesn’t seem like the money is there,” he said. “The dollars are just not adding up.”

The program’s aims include easing the cost of living for parents and guardians, reducing vehicular traffic and boosting future paid ridership figures.

Pam Currie, a teacher at Grant Park High School and a parent, was invited to speak at the news conference and said the program will “level the playing field” for families and give independence to children.

“He’s going to be able to think about timing, responsibility (and) critical thinking,” Currie said of when her son begins using his pass.

Seven Oaks School Division Supt. Tony Kreml said there has been “significant” interest from students.

“We do see it as breaking down or addressing a barrier potentially in getting to school, but also supporting those things that happen after school, those extracurriculars, as well,” he said.

He said 6,135 passes were allocated to Seven Oaks.

Winnipeg School Division received 14,467 passes. Supt. Matt Henderson said demand has been “phenomenal.”

“Kids are excited about it. The common theme from children that it’s about freedom,” he said. “It’s a game-changer when you’re talking about levelling the playing field and mitigating poverty.”

Pembina Trails School Division said it received 8,730 passes, which is enough to distribute to any student who requires or wants one.

St. James-Assiniboia School Division received 4,180 passes, with 2,299 families providing consent so far.

“The response from caregivers has been overwhelmingly positive, supporting student access to school, work, and recreational opportunities that can enhance well-being, academic success and citizenship,” Jaime Siska, assistant superintendent of educational planning and policy, said in a statement.

Division scolaire franco-manitobaine was allocated 1,400 passes. The French translation on Winnipeg Transit’s passes had a typo. The world “annuel” was spelled as “annual.”

The province, when contacted by DSFM about the typo, said it will work with Transit on the matter, a division spokesperson said.

Driedger, the city spokesman, said the passes were approved for printing in July to be ready for the school year.

“We are working with the vendor to address the printing error which appears to have occurred after our final approval of the proof,” he wrote in an email. “We apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.”

Société de la francophonie manitobaine said it was an honest mistake, and it appreciates the work of the city’s French-language services division.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca