Engelheim Charter Inc., acquires Moose Mountain Bus Lines

Engelheim Charter Inc., will be adding to its fleet and adding some new options with the acquisition of Moose Mountain Bus Lines.

The Regina-based bus company announced the acquisition on Tuesday.

CEO Shane Engel said the move will add six buses to the Engelheim fleet, increasing the total to 20. The company also acquired all of Moose Mountain’s contracts, including WestWorld Tours.

“We’re very happy to bring a Saskatchewan company back home to Saskatchewan,” Engel said, noting that while Moose Mountain had its headquarters in Saskatchewan, the owner was in Winnipeg.

Engelheim has been the official carrier of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Regina Pats, Regina Optimist Dolphins Swim Club, Sask. Express, Regina Red Sox and other groups. Now it adds the Regina Thunder and University of Regina athletics to its list of customers as well.

Engelheim Charter also now owns Moose Mountain Tours.

“We can now develop our own tours and organize our own tours whereas we never had that element to our business before,” Engel said.

Engel said that while his company has added to its fleet, and was approved to begin offering passenger routes in the province a few years ago after the shutdown of STC, there aren’t any plans to create routes like that in the province.

Engel noted other companies have already stepped in to fill some routes left by STC’s departure.

“It would be unwise to start another route that would compete directly with them. The market share is not that big,” Engel said.

In addition to the departure of STC, Greyhound Transport also pulled the majority of its routes in Western Canada.

“The bus route service has changed from what it was then. (Those companies) were established,” Engel said.

Engel said Engelheim will continue to honour all contracts Moose Mountain had and will keep a majority of the employees. While there will be some job losses, Engel couldn’t say how many.

“We have to wait until the COVID-19 crisis has passed before we know exactly where we’re standing,” Engel said. “The vast majority of employees will not have their job affected at all.”

Engel wouldn’t disclose the cost of the acquisition.