A contingent of SOUTHLAND Edmonton employees and their families joined thousands of people wearing dinosaur costumes in Drumheller on Saturday, hoping to break a world record. 

Travel Drumheller’s ‘Jurassic Jamboree’ event aimed to break the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Dinosaurs record of 252 people, which was set in Los Angeles in 2019. While the final numbers have not been released, the fact that organizers handed out 3,000 wrist bands means the attempt to break the record was an unqualified success!

SOUTHLAND Edmonton arranged a charter for their drivers to travel to Drumheller for the event, in exchange for donations to the Edmonton Food Bank.

It looks like it was a roaring good time! The turnout was simply Dino-Mite!

Prairie Bus Lines is thrilled to announce that one of our own has been recognized by the Student Transportation Association of Alberta. We want to extend our sincerest congratulations to Don Strandquist for being named the 2023 School Bus Driver of the Year.

Working out of Stettler, Alberta, Don recently marked 50 years of consecutive service transporting students to school and Safely Home. His experience navigating the rural country roads and local highways is unmatched, and Don is humbled by the unexpected recognition.

“I’m tickled pink about it, actually! You know, when you’re doing something that you really enjoy, it’s never really work, and I truly believe that. In all of those years, I can never remember a morning when I said, I wish I didn’t have to drive today.”

Over the past five decades, Don has witnessed three generations of school kids in the Stettler community grow up before his very eyes. Some of his current bus students have parents or even grandparents who also rode on Don’s big yellow school bus.

“Yes, I’ve seen a third generation of families in a few places! I’ve seen a lot of kids come and go over the years. You don’t do something for this long unless you love it!”

Don is famous for fostering a positive atmosphere on his bus, and his dedication to his students has been a key ingredient in his career in student transportation since day one. In September, a special needs student on Don’s run simply refused to enter the school. After repeated failed attempts by teachers to coax the student into joining his classmates, Don took it upon himself to walk the kindergartener into the building every day at drop-off – a ritual that continues to this day.

“When he gets on the bus, he gives me a high five. When we get off, we walk into the school, and I pat him on the shoulder and say, ‘You have a good day, Wyatt.’ Then he gives me another high five, and he’s happy as a lark! For the little time it takes me to work with him, it is time well spent.”

During the holidays, Don has treats ready to hand out to every one of his riders. He always carries lollipops in his pockets for any other students he comes across and always has an easy smile and a fun story to share with students and staff. He even provides jokes to the office for the daily announcements at the school – often cutting them out of local newspapers.

Don turned a very spry 79-years-old in January, but the avid walker says he feels great and has no plans to permanently park the bus and retire anytime soon.

“I still enjoy every day of it, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” Don adds. “If I’m not fit to be there, I don’t want to be there, but as long as my health is good and everything like that, I’ll continue to enjoy every day with the kids.”

Don Strandquist has become a pillar of the Stettler community, and the students see him as a permanent fixture of the school and love to recognize him during the annual Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Here’s one of their recent tributes.

“Come rain or shine, you know Mr. Strandquist will make it through the worst road conditions and arrive at your doorstep. Although some days, some of us would probably rather stay home, we appreciate how we can always count on you, Mr. Strandquist” – Junior High Student, Bus Driver Appreciation Day

Don will be presented with his award at the STAA’s Supervisor’s Meeting on April 26 in Stoney Plain, Alberta. There, he will officially receive the School Bus Driver of the Year for the province of Alberta and a cheque for $500.

Congratulations, Don, on receiving this well-deserved honour and on your unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of the students in your care.

On April 9^th Diversified attended a fireside chat hosted by the Association for Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment (AMPPE), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and Ski Big 3.

In attendance at this event were various stakeholders including Ron Hallman, CEO of Parks Canada, Francois Masse – Superintendent Lake Louise/Yoho/Kootenay Field Unit, Richard Ireland – Mayor of Jasper, Corrie DiManno – Mayor of Banff and many other individuals and organizations with a common goal of maintaining ecological integrity in the Park. 

It was a great honour to showcase our Hydrogen unit and have the opportunity to collaborate on initiatives that align with long term strategies for the area.

What started as a simple social media post nearly five years ago has turned into a real passion project for Southland‘s Calgary North Supervisor Nancy Hardy. Nancy started capturing sunrise photos because “our Alberta skies are so big and beautiful. I began by just sending the pictures to my parents, sisters, daughter, and niece to say GOOD MORNING from Alberta.”

She started posting her photos to the Southand Alberta drivers Facebook page for a very simple reason, “the sunrise views I post to the drivers Facebook page are the exact views they all see every morning. They can’t take the pictures because they are driving, so I share mine… it makes my heart happy sharing these pictures.”

Check out a sampling of Nancy’s sunrise collection by clicking on the slideshow below.

Nancy takes the photos from her office window, and from various locations at the McKnight yard. So far, she has posted nearly 250 photos in five years, and the reaction from the drivers has been wonderful.

“The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. Drivers can relate because they see the sunrise earlier that day, and each one is unique… Our drivers love seeing all the different pictures posted. I plan to switch pictures out as I get new ones developed.”

When asked why she decided to create a special sunrise wall in her office, Nancy simply wanted to spread a little more sunshine.

“I decided to create a sunrise wall on my slanted ceiling in my office because our drivers see these sunrises everyday and they are so beautiful. I just wanted to share them with everyone. The pictures are taken on my iPhone but I do not need to apply any filters or use any apps to edit them, as they are amazing as is. Even still, the real thing is better than anything that could be captured in any picture. I’ve also hung pictures up like a border in our drivers room and in both dispatch offices.”

Drivers don’t even have to be in the office or on the Facebook page to see Nancy’s sunrises, as she will try to share the morning light with those that need it the most. “I even shared pictures with a driver who was in the hospital for about a year, because I knew it was a view he missed. I felt my pictures gave him strength and put a smile on his face. I still send sunrise pictures to drivers that I know who are off sick.”

Thank you, Nancy, for taking the time to help brighten everyone’s day!

“Our skies are so beautiful and the colours change from minute to minute,” Nancy adds. “You have to celebrate every morning we wake up. I am a breast cancer survivor, so every day is a gift!”

As we celebrate the nearly 100,000 amazing women that work in the transportation industry across Canada, and all the women in our lives, PWT would like to profile the journey of Liz Vomastic, Lead Hand at Southland Edmonton’s 17th Street Shop.

“I’ve been with Southland for five years now, I’m a red seal journeyman automotive service technician and lead hand at our 17th street shop in Edmonton. 

I was a school bus driver when my girls were babies, and when they started school I knew I wanted to work full-time and support them. I had a crazy idea that if I could drive a school bus I could probably learn how to fix them as well. 

Having zero mechanical background meant that it was hard to get a foot in the door. That’s where Women Building Futures came in. I did a 17-week program with them which was called “journeywoman start” (now renamed journey to trades) and this gave me several safety tickets and hands on experience with basic hand and power tools, as well as a change to try out different trades and get a feel for a trades environment. 

I got my first shop job when I finished in 2015 and I guess the rest is history. I’ve been working on school busses for nine years total now and I love it so much. 

I’m now working/volunteering as an ambassador for Women Building Futures to promote the skilled trades as a viable career choice for girls and women. I’m also very vocal about promoting the trades as an option for neurodiverse individuals as well as I am autistic/adhd myself and I feel that many of my traits/quirks have contributed to my success – as well as the support from my team in Edmonton.”

Thank you Liz, for sharing your story today.

We have gathered a few resources for you to share with your friends, family, and co-workers, to support your efforts in raising awareness about barriers that impact the advancement of women and girls.

For Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers:

Teachers, parents, and caregivers play a key role in educating and challenging stereotypes + biases. Additionally, they inspire future generations by celebrating role models and highlighting the wide range of women’s achievements. 

• Children and School Resources
• Gender and Women’s Rights Activity Pack 
• IWD Childrens Reading List (5 – 15 years)
• “Little Leaders” Downloadable colouring sheet

For Management & Leaders: 

•  IWD/Lean In 50 Ways to Fight Bias program (designed to empower people to identify and challenge bias head-on)
  • About the program + instructions
  • Three Ways You Can Support Women in Your Organization

For Everyone:

• Downloadable Selfie Cards
• Downloadable Zoom Backgrounds
• IWD Pioneering Women Reading List (15+ years)
• 46 books about women who changed the world 

Yesterday, the TELUS BE BRAVE #EndBullying Game welcomed nearly 13,000 pink-clad students and teachers to the Scotiabank Saddledome to watch the Calgary Hitmen take on the Edmonton Oil Kings. SOUTHLAND Transportation was proud to provide transportation for this important anti-bullying event.

The first ever TELUS Be Brave event was hosted on February 22 of 2017, and SOUTHLAND has been assisting with busing right from the start. We’ve since become a valued member of the planning committee for future #EndBullying games.

Yesterday, we had 106 buses and drivers running to and from the Saddledome to transport pink-clad students and teachers. Of those 106 drivers, we also had the assistance of an out of town driver from Okotoks, so thank you for pitching in!

We had major support on the grounds from our Safety and Charter Operations teams and drivers. Kudos to the Charter Dispatch team, who spent many extra hours to find the drivers. We’d also like to send a special shout out to Andrea Silverthorne and Hugh Harms in Safety for their assistance.

We are happy to report that we had all students unloaded and seated inside the Saddledome before the puck was dropped. After the game, we set a record time getting the kids loaded and the buses departed within 15 minutes of the games end.

We all worked together as a team to make this event a huge success!

Click the slideshow below to watch how everyone pulled together for a great cause.