The GRT is offering free transit on June 22 and 23 to celebrate the ION’s 5th birthday on June 21. The free transit extends to the ION light rails, all GRT bus routes, and MobilityPLUS. The celebrations will continue with GRT hosting a birthday party at Fairway Station on June 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additional community events will be held at Waterloo Public Square, Queen/Frederick Station (Speaker’s Corner) and Ainslie Terminal.
The festivities at Fairway Station will feature live mural painting, music, fire arts animation, and aerial silks performances. Waterloo Public Square will have roaming stilt walking performances, with magicians and live music by KW Symphony performers at Queen/Frederick Station, and live music at Ainslie Terminal. All festivities will also have face painting, games, giveaways, and food trucks.
The ION light rail launched June 21, 2019 and has become a pillar of GRT’s network. It runs between Conestoga Station in Waterloo and Fairway Station in Kitchener, with 19 stations along the route. Since 2019, the ION has carried more than 19 million passengers, and over $5 billion has been invested in development along the existing line.
UW students use the services as a part of the WUSA GRT UPass fee and students tend to enjoy the service. Olivia Rolston, a UW science student, weighed in on her experience with public transport in Waterloo. “I like the ION, it’s clean, nice, and it’s on time.”
WLU students also enjoy the ION and Millicent Kusi-Acquah, a WLU kinesiology student, echoed this sentiment. “I’m a big fan of the ION,” said Kusi-Acquah. “I prefer it to the bus because it’s always on time.”
To learn more about this weekend’s festivities and free fare, check out www.grt.ca
