Historic Thunder Bay trolley buses to stay longer at city transit garage

City staff in Thunder Bay say they'll continue to house a pair of historic trolley buses while work to build them a more permanent home goes forward.

A memo to city councillors noted the city will keep storing the restored Brill buses in the main transit garage as long as efforts by the Thunder Bay Historical Transportation Committee to build a transit museum continue.

Acting general manager of community services Gerry Broere said the buses will stay indoors, even though there isn't much space to do so.

"We are working with this committee because we appreciate their concern that they don't want to have these out in the elements or in an area that they're not comfortable with," he said.

"But we're still of the opinion that they do need to move."

The chair of the historical transportation committee, Charlie Brown said they are working to build a museum to show off the area's transit history.

"The Brills would obviously be part of that, so administration has said that they'll house them as long as we keep working on this."

The buses were manufactured in the former city of Fort William until 1954 at what is now the Bombardier plant. The two Brills in storage were brought back to Thunder Bay in 2001 from British Columbia. One bus was restored in the colours of Port Arthur, the other in the colours of Fort William.

In the past, administration had recommended the buses be moved out of the transit garage. Brown said he's glad the buses will stay protected at the garage for now.

"We appreciate the city for its help in keeping them there so that they can be retained in the way that they are."