The loss of your license isn't the end of the road for seniors. Older woman waiting for a ride home.
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The Loss of Your Licence Isn’t End of Road

Island Voices, Transportation

It is a privilege that most of us tend to regard more as a right; the ability to drive a motorized vehicle on Canadian roads and highways. As long as we drive responsibly, we are free to travel in our personal automobiles whenever and wherever we choose.

Freedom … glorious freedom.

But, like most good things, this privilege can come to an end with the loss of your licence. Father and Mother Time will show up one day and for many seniors it will be time to take their foot off the gas and move over to the passenger seat.

For some, the decision to surrender a driver’s licence is a matter of accepting the reality that the mind and body simply aren’t capable of handling the challenges of driving. For others, the imposition of a ban on driving privileges is life-altering and something they will fight to overturn. Usually unsuccessfully.

Most of us recall a time when basic items like bread, milk and other products were delivered to our door. Door-to-door salespeople offered cosmetics and cleaning products. They brought items to your home that the brick-and-mortar stores didn’t carry and offered personalized expertise and convenience. Newspapers were delivered daily – in some larger markets more than once per day – and there were mobile book services, a library on wheels. Sometimes bicycle wheels!

The evolution of retail marketing and the emergence of sprawling suburban malls contributed to the change in how we shop and enhanced the need for personal vehicles to get us to these essential shops and services. So, when the ability to drive to these retail outlets is threatened, it can be daunting.

Tasks like driving to the local grocery store can be complicated, particularly in rural areas and small towns that lack public transportation services.

Fortunately, there are options. None will quite replace the sense of independence and the convenience that a driver’s licence offers, but when faced with a loss of your licence, there are alternatives to be considered.

Planning for the Loss of Your Licence

Younger family members, friends and neighbours are usually more than willing to offer transportation when asked. Often, they are pleased to be asked to do something helpful and they enjoy the outing and your company.

In 2017, Instacart arrived in Canada through a partnership with the huge grocery chain Loblaws. Naturally the first operations were concentrated in the Greater Toronto area where Instacart worked with Loblaws, Great Canadian Superstore and other major outlets. Within two years Instacart had expanded dramatically, largely due to a partnership with Walmart.

On Vancouver Island, several grocery stores have offered delivery service but that seems to have waned somewhat in recent month, leaving shoppers in smaller communities searching for an alternative.

Instacart has emerged as an option for much of Vancouver Island from Victoria to the northern communities. It operates in Victoria, Saanich, Landford and Mill Bay in the south. The service is available in the Cowichan Valley including Duncan, Lake Cowichan, Ladysmith, and Nanaimo.

Users of Instacart report good service with the only downside being cost, which means it isn’t for everyone.

In recent years, transportation service companies have begun operating in many Vancouver Island communities. Some are large, national companies, others are run by local entrepreneurs.

In Victoria, Driving Miss Daisy, a franchised service that began in Alberta in 2002, is a popular option for seniors. The company offers door-to-door and escort service for medical appointments, shopping, and social outings. Driving Miss Daisy is also available in Nanaimo, Parksville, and Qualicum Beach.

In 2021, Rob Darwin opened This Rides 4 U in the Cowichan Valley and began offering transportation for grocery pick-up and delivery, rides to the airport and ferries, and group transportation for outings as well as personal transportation for other appointments.

After a long career in the grocery industry, Ladysmith’s Paul McGregor was looking for a change and created a new business called Rise And Shine Companion Care. Not only will McGregor get you to the grocery store or ferry, but he also offers companionship that may involve going for a walk or going for a leisurely drive in the country.

Transportation Options for Seniors

Seniors looking for transportation to medical appointments are well-served on Vancouver Island.
Some of the programs offered are:

  • Ladysmith Resources Centre Association (LRCA): Operates a volunteer-based medical transport service for local seniors needing rides to treatments in Nanaimo or Duncan. Call 250-245-3079 at least 10–14 days ahead.
  • Island Health Non-Emergency Medical Travel: Coordinates free travel and bookings for qualified patients heading to medical specialist appointments.
  • Granny Go Go: Provides paid, private companion and escorted transportation across Vancouver Island, from Campbell River to the Cowichan Valley. Call 250-714-9715 with at least two days notice.
  • The Island Chauffeur: Offers door-to-door, personalized senior transportation with wheelchair and luggage assistance, based in Parksville and serving central Vancouver Island.
  • Care & Company Group: Offers safe, assisted transportation for medical visits, social outings, and errands integrated with home care in the Victoria area.
  • Wheels for Wellness: Offers patient transportation from areas like Duncan to Victoria for medical appointments (typically requires booking 48 to 72 hours in advance; note that operations depend on current funding status). You can reach them at 250-338-0196.

Prespription Delivery Services

Pharmacies on Vancouver Island have been particularly helpful in providing delivery to customers. Most have the service available and many offer free delivery of medications.

For example, Island Pharmacy in Victoria plus the Cowichan Valley and Central Drugs in Nanaimo and area, offer free delivery services from their locations in Victoria, Mill Bay, Cobble Hill and Lake Cowichan. Central Drugs has several locations on the Island, including Nanaimo and provides free prescription delivery.

The major chains including London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart offer delivery but generally have a fee or use services like Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats.

About the Author

Warren Goulding is a retired Vancouver Island-based journalist and author of the Canadian bestseller, Just Another Indian: A Serial Killer and Canada’s Indifference.
He can be reached at: publisher@askewcreek.com