Page 13 - Giv'er Miramichi magazine - Christmas 2018

Introducing… GoChi Cooperative Ltd

‘’Go where you need to go, when you need to get there’’

'Tis the season of all
things shiny and bright,
and with the launch of
GoChi, folks on and
around the Miramichi
will soon have a new
option for their local
transportation needs.
GoChi is
Northumberland County's
new local community
transportation co-operative
with a mission to provide
efficient, affordable
transportation and Northumberland Community Transportation Committee 2018. L to R: Doug Mullin, Terri Cormier, Stéphanie
Caissie, Crystal Gulliver, Randal Boothby, Michael Mersereau, Karen Martin, Chanelle Melanson. Missing:
connections to residents
Michelle Davidson-Legere, Kim Hotton. Photo Credit: Doug Mullin
within county lines.
Northumberland County has a large, rural geographical area county and shares can be purchased for a one-time fee of $10
with an aging population spread over miles of rural routes per share up to $250. Membership provides access to GoChi
leading to several small urban centres with increasingly services at a reduced membership rate for services as well as
centralized public services. Access to transportation becomes voting privileges and the opportunity to be a part of a
the difference between literally living a manageable life or grassroots community initiative.
dying a slow death in a community. While GoChi has its official non-profit co-operative
"When you are trying to get around to your civic duties status, services are still in the organization and planning
and delights, how you get there becomes real important when stages. "GoChi will begin with pre-booked, door-to-door
it comes to participating in your own community", said within our county." Caissie added. "We look forward to
Stéphanie Caissie, Transportation Co-ordinator for the exploring other similar options such as ridesharing, ride-
Northumberland Community Inclusion Network (CIN) and home program and community transportation projects as well
the organizing body for GoChi. New Brunswick has 12 as working with other similar transportation groups within
regional community inclusion networks working on the Northumberland County and around the province."
province's poverty eradication strategy through its crown To begin, GoChi is looking for dependable volunteer
corporation, the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation drivers with their own vehicle for the volunteer drivers’
(ESIC), established in 2009. program. There will be a paid kilometre rate and insurance
GoChi Co-op services are available to anyone in who differential. For more information, call 210-2468 or email
needs transportation from one point to another and will be gochicoop@gmail.com.
provided by volunteer drivers specifically recruited for this Find us online at www.gochicoop.com and
initiative. Membership is open to anyone in Northumberland www.facebook.com/gochi.cooperative.3.

Giv’er Miramichi is published by MCG Media 13