Kitchener Public Utilities Commission (KPUC) was a public utility and transit operator in the Kitchener-Waterloo area from 1927 to 1973.
Transit service began with horse cars in 1887 as a private company whose owner was from New York City.
The line was electrified for streetcars a few years later. The city did not renew the charter and the KPUC took over in 1927.
The KPUC operated streetcars until 1946, as bus and trolley bus operations took over.
The electric streetcars were scheduled to be retired on January 1, 1947. An ice storm on December 27, 1946 caused so much damage to the overhead that it was not repaired.
Cross-town gasoline buses started in the 1930s.
Trolley coach operation began on January 1, 1947, and ended by March 26, 1973.
Transit operations were passed on to the City of Kitchener in 1973 and was operated with all-new bus routes as Kitchener Transit. Utilities operations, for gas, water and sewer services within the City of Kitchener are now run by Kitchener Utilities, a subsidiary of the municipality.
Read more about Kitchener Public Utilities Commission: Roster, Routes
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