I'll just clarify that we as a company have been in business for 102 years, but our bus business has been on the go for 30 years.
We took it over from Canadian National when they privatized back in 1996. They were losing $3.6 million a year in the last year, when we looked at their books, by operating the service across the island. We still decided to buy it, believe it or not, so if you want to tell me there's a lot wrong, yes, there is. Over that period, there were some decent times, but, as you know, more and more people became dependent on the automobile, with the independence to go when they want to and when they could.
However, I'll show our credibility. The service was offered when Roadcruiser was the vision of CN. It operated a run per day from St. John's to Port aux Basques. Over the last 30 years, there have only been 41 days when we have not operated, and that's due to weather. Every other day, the schedule was as close as we could keep it, given weather and conditions. We have not bowed out and said, “No, we're not going.” During COVID, there were days when there were three people on the bus, but we still left Port aux Basques and went to St. John's.
There's an expression in Newfoundland: “If the bus is not going, don't no one else move.” It's not fit. It's not good. It's not whatever. They always call and say, “If the bus is going, there's a possibility we might be able to go.” We have credibility about running, yes; dependability, yes; profitability, no. It's being subsidized by another part of my business, but I'm still living for that great day, as we say.
I just wanted to explain that to you.