Wawa organizes ‘Boob Bus’ to fill gap in breast cancer screening

Wawa launches 'Boob Bus' - 30 woman bus trips to Sault Area Hospital - to fill breast-cancer screening gap after Thunder Bay bus service cut.

Residents in Wawa and surrounding communities are taking healthcare into their own hands after losing access to a mobile breast-cancer screening service that once regularly visited the area.

Organizers have launched the “Boob Bus,” a temporary solution to transport women to Sault Area Hospital for mammograms after Thunder Bay’s screening bus – previously relied upon – was cancelled due to increased demand in that city.

Last year, Wawa council appealed to the Ministry of Health for alternatives, leaving many women without local access to mammograms. With a new bus expected to take two to three years to secure, the province has provided funding to assist 30 women in getting screened this fall.

A stopgap solution

Cathy Cannon, a local councillor, explained the interim plan to CTV News.

“So in the meantime, with that money we’ve received, the funding – we will use it for renting a bus from Lacroix Bus Lines and taking the women there, as many as we can – this time it’ll be 30,” she said.

The Boob Bus will run on Oct. 2, offering free transportation from Wawa to Sault Area Hospital and back. The service is open to residents of Wawa, White River, Dubreuilville, Hawk Junction, Missanabie and Michipicoten First Nation.

Logistics and appointments

According to the Wawa Family Health Team, the bus will depart at 7:30 a.m. from 3 Chris Simon Drive in Wawa, returning from Sault Area Hospital at 4:30 p.m. 30 appointments are available, and interested individuals are encouraged to contact Katherine or Shelley at 705-856-1313 to reserve a seat.

Organizers credited the Northeast Regional Cancer Program and Sault Area Hospital for their support in making the initiative possible; adding that while the Boob Bus is a temporary measure, it addresses an urgent need for accessible breast-cancer screening in the region until a permanent solution is established.