1961 to 1980

Enter B.C Hydro
The Province of British Columbia takes over B.C. Electric Railway, creating a new Crown corporation called the BC Hydro and Power Authority on August 1. With this change comes the first of many new vehicle paint schemes: green-over-blue stripes on off-white. BC Hydro’s new logo featured a stylized letter H. The top half of the logo is green to symbolize British Columbia’s forests. The bottom half is blue to represent the province’s waters.

Phasing out trolleys
With ridership still declining, BC Hydro announces plans to phase out trolley service with its expensive overhead wires, and replace it with modern, more flexible, diesel buses. The company retires the first 30 of the T-44 trolleys, now 15 years old. Later, it sells 10 of the T-44s to Edmonton, Alberta, using the rest for parts to keep the remaining trolleys running.

New Deisels arrive
The first of the new diesel buses, the General Motors "silver sides," appears in North Vancouver. These modern vehicles make the trolleys look outdated. Talk increases about replacing trolleys. As diesel buses take their place in systems across Canada, the electric trolley faces retirement. Ottawa was the first city to totally eliminate its trolleys in 1959, followed by Regina and Montreal in 1966.

A reprieve for trolleys
BC Hydro steps up plans to phase out trolleys. Its trolley fleet has declined to less than 300 vehicles, yet remains the largest in Canada. The same year, the company converts the #10-Tenth/#14-Hastings route to diesel bus operation to allow for a through service to the University of British Columbia. In the early 1970s, however, a global fuel crisis prompts a renewal for transit and a reprieve for trolley buses across Canada.

Trolley line extended
In February, BC Hydro completes its first trolley route extension in more than 15 years, taking the # 15-Cambie route from 50th to 64th Avenue.

Exact fare, please
One of the most sweeping changes in transit occurs on April 1, 1970, when BC Hydro introduces the exact fare program and bus operators no longer carry change. Fares have climbed from six cents on the original bus in 1923 to 25 cents, with tickets long since replaced by tokens. With exact fare, the tokens disappear as well.

Another paint scheme
The Provincial Government establishes the Bureau of Transit Services to take over responsibility for transit policy and planning from BC Hydro. With the change comes another new paint scheme for the trolley buses: orange-and-yellow stripes over the former blue-and-green stripes. Transit service expands beyond Vancouver to Coquitlam, Surrey, Delta and the eastern portion of North Vancouver.

Opening the mall
When the Granville Mall opened, trolleys returned to Granville Street. During mall construction, trolleys had detoured on Howe, Seymour and Richards streets. Later that year, BC Hydro brings in a Hess articulated trolley from Switzerland to test on Vancouver routes for several months. A small gasoline engine provides this vehicle with on-board power, allowing the bus to move when electrical power is not available. Plans to purchase this vehicle are shelved following a provincial election in 1975.

Flyer E800's
On December 31, 1975, the company launches an inaugural run of two Flyer E800 trolleys, with company officials as passengers. By the spring of 1976, the rest of the Flyer E800s arrive. On August 4, 1976, Brill T-44 coach #2082 makes its final run after 28 years of service.

New colours, again
Trolley buses receive yet another new paint scheme: orange-and-brown stripes replace orange and yellow. The new words "BC Hydro Transit" replace "Greater Vancouver Transit System." By this time, only the T-48s remain from the original fleet of trolleys.

SeaBus service launched
On June 17, 1977, SeaBus is launched. This unique, high-speed, double-catamaran passenger ferry service crosses Vancouver Harbour between Lonsdale Quay and downtown Vancouver.

Trolleys here to stay
BC Hydro conducts a major review of its trolley system, detailing the energy costs and future requirements for use. After months of uncertainty, the company announces it will keep the quiet, pollution-free trolleys rather than abandon these electric vehicles as m\any other cities have done.

New authority created
The Urban Transit Authority (UTA), a new Crown corporation, is created in July. Its mandate is to provide province-wide transit policy, planning, and funding.

Hello handyDART
HandyDART is launched to provide door-to-door transit for people with disabilities in Greater Vancouver.

End of the BC Hydro era
After 19 years, BC Hydro’s involvement with transit ends. Operations are transferred to the Metro Transit Operating Company, the operating arm of the Urban Transit Authority (UTA). The Municipality of West Vancouver’s Blue Buses joins UTA.