For Beatrice Ridsdale, a dispatcher for Diversified Transportation in Kitimat, a recent trip to the Vatican was more than a trip—it was a deeply emotional and healing experience rooted in art, history, and truth. An inter-generational survivor of Residential Schools and the ’60s Scoop, Beatrice was part of an Indigenous delegation invited to explore the genesis of colonization through the lens of art history.

This extraordinary journey was spearheaded by Dr. Suzanne McLeod, an Indigenous professor at the University of Manitoba specializing in Native American Art History. Alongside Elder Kathy Daniels and Elder Pahan, the delegation aimed to interpret the narratives woven into historical artifacts and artwork, particularly from an Indigenous perspective.

Central to their experience was the exploration of Pinturicchio’s 1494 painting The Resurrection, believed to include the first artistic depiction of Indigenous peoples following Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. The painting and its context are tied directly to the Doctrine of Discovery, a papal decree that justified colonization and catastrophically altered the lives of Indigenous populations worldwide.

Romina Cometti of the Vatican’s Ethnological Collection Department played a pivotal role in trying to ensure the Indigenous displays reflected accurate and meaningful interpretations. Beatrice and her fellow delegates engaged in discussions about the lasting impacts of colonization, agreeing they could not speak for all Indigenous peoples but could share their individual truths and insights.

The trip held particular resonance for Beatrice, who had previously worked as an Indigenous guard during the Pope’s 2022 visit to Alberta. Witnessing the Pope don an Indigenous headdress was an emotionally charged moment for her and her fellow guards, many of whom found the act painful given the church’s role in the history of colonization and residential schools. Reflecting on that experience in the context of her Vatican visit, Beatrice found an opportunity to process and reconcile complex emotions.

“This trip was a healing journey for all of us involved,” Beatrice shared. “Truth and Reconciliation is at its humble beginnings, but there is hope.”

The delegation’s visit also highlighted the role of education and dialogue in bridging historical divides. Dr. McLeod and the elders facilitated discussions about the intersections of Indigenous history, art, and the church’s legacy. The group’s efforts underscore a growing commitment to truth-telling and reconciliation, offering a pathway toward understanding and healing.

“Here we were at the Borgia Apartments Room of the Mysteries in the Vatican – Six Indigenous women seeking to understand how art portrays our Indigenous People’s customs, sacred artifacts, history and languages. Our presence at the Vatican Museum helped to put some context regarding the displays of artifacts, especially the Pope’s Headdress, which was gifted during the Papal Visit to Canada in 2022. I worked as a Guard; there were 70 Indigenous Guards at Maskwacis and Lac Ste Anne. Romina, the assistant responsible for the Indigenous displays, understood the need for more context and was quite humble enough to ask for our opinion on the present displays. Thank God for Dr. Suzanne and Elder Pahan’s input. So blessed to be with this group.”

School bus service has returned to the remote Yukon community of Pelly Crossing. This significant achievement is a result of a friendship between a teacher in the community and a dispatcher with Standard Bus Contracting in Whitehorse.

Pelly Crossing is a small community of about 320 people three hours north of Whitehorse. The community has struggled to attract and retain a permanent driver for Eliza Van Bibber school for a few years, leaving the student without consistent busing.

Standard Bus Dispatcher Kim Solonick searched desperately for ideas to attract drivers. Eventually, an idea hit her, and she made a call that changed everything. She contacted her friend Yvonne Curic, a teacher at the school.

Yvonne and Kim have been friends for years. In addition to her work at Standard, Kim is an Airbnb host in Whitehorse. Yvonne, a frequent guest, stays with Kim when she visits friends in the city.  So, she wasn’t surprised to receive a call from Kim one summer day, but she was a bit taken aback by Kim’s question.

“Would you consider driving a school bus for us?” she asked her friend.

Yvonne thought back to the challenges posed by a lack of drivers. “Students would miss out on field trips,” she says. Some students would have no way of getting to school. “This also affected [overall] attendance.”

Immediately, Yvonne saw the possibilities the request offered.

“There weren’t any other applicants,” says Yvonne. “I didn’t want my students to miss out on another year of no rides to school and no trips, so I told Kim I would do it.”

As she completed her training, Yvonne also convinced fellow teacher David Gillis to apply. Both completed training and licensing and today, Yvonne is the school’s permanent driver while David acts as the spare. “It always feels great to help out. I only had my student’s interests in mind when I decided,” says Yvonne.

Having teachers double as school bus drivers has made a big difference at the school, says Principal Mary Shkimba.

“The community is very grateful to have the bus back in the community, and I applaud the initiative of our two teachers who obtained their licenses to aid the school community and the students.”

 Overall, Yvonne is happy with her decision to drive for Standard Bus and support her students.

“I think it’s a great idea to have teachers with their Class 2 and Class 4 in rural communities to help drive the kids around. I would encourage teachers across the Territory to look into doing the same for their communities!”

Yvonne Curic with teacher and Standard Bus school bus driver David Gillis. 

Operation Empowering Youth is a collaboration between the Calgary Police Youth Foundation, the Calgary Police Service and CF Market Mall. In all, 50 students got help with their Christmas shopping from some of Calgary’s Finest – all in an effort to foster relationships between kids and officers.

SOUTHLAND Transportation was proud to donate our services to transport these students to Market Mall for a fun day of shopping! The kids were each given a $200 gift card that they could spend on themselves or their families. Area Manager of Safety & Training Sarah McIntyre has driven the bus for this event in prior years and she says participating in community initiatives demonstrates how  SOUTHLAND can really make a difference.

“It creates a sense of pride within my team knowing that this is an event we have taken on in the past, have it run smoothly, and know it makes a difference in these student’s lives. As well. it’s important to maintain a working partnership with CPS.”

The hope is that the selected students, who were nominated by local schools, would be able to have an open conversation with officers about staying safe. Event organizer Claire Enzie thanked SOUTHLAND for our continued support.

“We are thrilled to share that the event was a resounding success, with 50 children going home not only with gifts for themselves and their families but also with memories that will last a lifetime. We could not have made this happen without the transportation support that you provided. Your team made it possible for us to get the children to the event safely and on time, and for that, we are deeply grateful.”

To learn more about this story, CLICK HERE.

Today, Diversified Transportation was recognized by the Canadian Mental Health Association Wood Buffalo as a Mental Health Champion. 

A huge thank you to Sherry McDonald, our HCM advisor who was not only on hand to receive this award but who spearheaded this initiative within our workplace and became a true ambassador. 

Sherry was instrumental in bringing awareness to issues many struggle in silence with by bringing various workshops and seminars to our employees.

Thank you, Sherry, for your amazing work!

As we enter the final few weeks of the Fall Raise the Bar season, we’re giving everyone an up-close-and-personal look into these informative, interactive feedback sessions!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Raise the Bar, the goal is to understand what is working well at PWT, what needs to improve, and provide everyone with the chance to come together to Raise the Bar. We want to enhance job satisfaction and exceed customer expectations while meeting two of our Strategic Goals: The Employer of Choice and The Service Provider of Choice. 

Last month, we sent the CCoE‘s resident roving reporter Shadi Swaidan to cover a recent Southland Calgary RTB session. 

Click the fun video below to tag along with Shadi and find out what to expect when you attend!

On October 17th, Cold Lake Bus Lines drivers participated in an important safety exercise—an annual bus evacuation drill. The drill, organized by Ecole Voyageur and Cold Lake Bus Lines, was an invaluable experience for both drivers and students, ensuring that everyone is prepared in case of an emergency.

Both drivers and students watched an instructional video that demonstrated proper evacuation procedures, then a day was selected for the drivers to stay behind after morning drop off.

Once the students returned to the bus in groups, drivers, along with a supervising teacher, walked through the protocol one more time, ensuring everyone understood the process. Then, they executed the drill, practicing safe and orderly evacuations under the guidance of the drivers.

Ecole Voyageur has five runs, all supplied by Cold Lake Bus Lines. Drills like this one are critical, as they provide an opportunity for drivers and students alike to review and practice essential safety procedures. This hands-on experience helps everyone feel more confident and prepared to act in an emergency.

Safety is always a team effort, and we commend both the drivers and students for their participation in this essential exercise.