When SOUTHLAND Driver Jennifer Ma signed up to work a charter in mid-October, the thought that it would be anything more than another routine trip never crossed her mind. However, that all changed when she found out who the guest of honour was.

Sloane is autistic and has been non-speaking for most of her life. Her parents, Jill and Rogan, wanted to give her a memorable seventh birthday party, but because Sloane has difficulty communicating her wishes, they utilized an innovative way to plan Sloane’s birthday celebration.

“With Sloane, we presume competence, and have given her the opportunity to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which is a program on her iPad where we can use visuals and buttons as a way to communicate with each other, a.k.a. her talker”, Jill explained.

“Last year, she went on a school field trip to the zoo”, Jill continued. “And her learning assistant told us that she smiled the whole time she was on the bus and that for weeks afterwards, she kept pressing the button for school bus on her talker. We took that as meaning she wanted to go again, and thought it would be really cool to come up with a special experience for her for her birthday. So why not try to book a school bus?”

Jill’s online booking experience with SOUTHLAND was a breeze, and Charter Manager Tara Irwin reassured her that everything was all set and ready to go. What really started the day on the right foot was when Jill met Jennifer Ma, her charter driver for the special excursion.

“Our expectations were exceeded the moment Jen arrived and shook my hand. She was warm and personable, and we could tell she was an experienced driver and exactly the right person for our day. We were also surprised to discover that the bus was covered in Halloween decorations, which the kids absolutely loved!”

After meeting the family, Jennifer had a good feeling she was in for a wonderful outing. “I was really excited and wanted to make sure this little girl had the most amazing time. It definitely made my heart happy that I got to be a part of this… I knew this would be one of the most rewarding charters I have done in my 16 years at SOUTHLAND.”

Jill booked the bus for 2.5 hours, and arranged with Souto Farms north of Airdrie that they would be bringing a busload of people for coffee and ice cream. The bus parked while birthday guests did a little shopping at the market and enjoyed the outdoor play area. “It was great to have the bus right there as Sloane would often come on and off the bus. It was a great refuge for her to self-regulate if she needed a little time away. Then we took the long way home to complete the round-trip.”

Check out the video below for a recap of the special day.

Diversified‘s Dual Fuel motorcoach got some serious TV time last week! Diesel Tech Industries, Diversified’s partner, appeared on Global News Edmonton to promote the Guardian Hydrogen-Diesel System and highlight the impact it will have on the transportation industry. DTL’s Dual Fuel bus was featured heavily in the news report, which described the benefits of retrofitting existing fleets to the Dual Fuel system.

Rebacca Goldsack, COO of Diesel Tech Industries, describes the new technology as a true breakthrough. “A couple of years ago, we were approached to develop a Dual Fuel technology,” she says. “We can now say that we can provide a cost-effective, now solution for the decarbonization of the transportation industry.”

Goldsack added “we can get up to 80% hydrogen at an idle and 40 to 50% driving down the highway of replacement compared to diesel.”

DTL’s Dual Fuel initiative has been a major priority, and the progress made since first announcing the partnership with Diesel Tech Industries in the fall of 2022 has been impressive. The transportation sector must play a vital role in enabling the transition to a low-carbon global economy, and Diversified Transportation will continue our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The Spruce View & District Lions Club has selected Carly Hansen as Spruce Citizen of the Year for 2024. The award has been given annually since about 1980 to one individual who gives selflessly to the community.

Hansen is the mother of seven children and she is a bus driver for Prairie Bus Lines, transporting Chinook’s Edge students to school at Spruce View School. Also, Hansen is also the chair of the Spruce View School Council, she is a Spruce View firefighter, she helps with the Raven Crimewatch group, and she runs a playgroup in town for Moms and young children, to name a few of the many ways she contributes to her community.

“Carly is a community builder,” said Suzanne Levac, President of the Spruce View & District Lions Club. “This award is all about her character and the way she gives back.”

“I was very surprised to receive this award,” said Carly Hansen. “Usually it goes to someone who has more time than I do, to give to the community. But I do love being involved, and I am honoured. I am honoured that people took the time to nomination me. I feel seen and appreciated. Thank you!”

Hansen grew up in North Vancouver. She visited a friend living in Alberta in 2001 and chose to stay. “I just liked the slow pace of rural Alberta life, with not much traffic and no immediate neighbors, but also friends and community who are tight knit.” Originally landing in Sundre, by 2006 Hansen had tried out a few rural Alberta communities and eventually settled in Spruce View. “It is such a nice town. The people here are amazing; they rally together to get things done.”

“Congratulations to Carly Hansen, a remarkable parent at Spruce View School, on receiving the well deserved ‘Citizen of the Year’ award from the Spruce View & District Lions Club,” said Claire Funk, Principal, Spruce View School. “As our dedicated school bus driver, school council chair, and enthusiastic volunteer, Carly truly embodies the spirit of our school motto – ‘pride in self, pride in others, pride in community’. Carly’s unwavering commitment to fostering a sense of pride and community within our school is truly commendable. We appreciate you, Carly!”

“Carly is a volunteer and organizing guru. She is the first person to show up when anything in the community happens and I am grateful to be able to call this amazing person my friend. I can not think of anyone else that is more deserving of this award than Carly,” said Elysse Janzen, a citizen who nominated Hansen.

“Carly is a dedicated community member focused heavily on our kids and community health. Some of her children are now young adults and working and helping in our community. It is great to see that she has passed her passion for community onto her kids,” said Brent Ramsay, a citizen who nominated Hansen.

Levac said the Lions Club is also impressed with Hansen’s children; the Lion’s Club sponsored one of Hansen’s older children to go to a leadership camp. “You can see that Carly is teaching her children to give back to the community,” said Levac. “She is an excellent role model.”

“I just want my kids to know that if you can give a little bit of your time it goes a long way,” said Hansen. “I want them to know that with a little bit of time and effort, you can really make a difference.”

Hansen will officially receive her award at the meeting of the Spruce View & District Lions Club on January 20, 2024.

Yesterday, Diversified Transportation wrapped up their Food Bank drive in Fort McMurray as part of the Corporate Challenge.

Our Diversified family has proven time again that when a call goes out they don’t hesitate to step up to the plate and once again we delivered in a big way!

We dropped off 672lbs of food to the Wood Buffalo Food Bank – a special shout out to Steve Coleman and the team at Fort McKay for always taking the challenge to heart and putting together a substantial portion of our donation. 

Since 2011, the Los Amigos Project has coordinated the delivery of decommissioned emergency vehicles, handi-vans/buses and school buses to the people of Mexico. The project is spearheaded by members of various Rotary Clubs in southern and central Alberta, and this year, Southland Transportation stepped up with a donation of a 2011 Ford Handi-Bus to benefit the people of Tepic Nayarit, México. 

Donations to the Los Amigos Project are critical to the communities in Mexico that do not have the funds or opportunities to purchase these vehicles. This April, a fleet of donated vehicles left Lethbridge, Alberta, to begin the nearly 4,000 km journey to Tepic Nayarit, México.

A Fleet of Donated Vehicles Traveled Nearly 4,000 Kilometres

When the vehicles arrived in Mazatlán, Mexico, the keys were handed over to representatives from Tepic Nayarit, who then drove the final four hours to the fleet’s new home. The convoy’s arrival at its final destination was greeted with much fanfare, including a parade and a special presentation to local officials in the town square.

Randy Smith, Los Amigos Project Coordinator, has seen firsthand the impact these vehicles have in the communities they serve.

“A few years ago, I had the privilege of witnessing what the donation of a handi-bus meant to a number of athletes in wheelchairs. They were so thankful and thrilled with the donation. They explained that they would now be able to travel to neighbouring communities and participate in sporting events. With huge smiles on their faces, they crowded around the bus and kept trying to touch it.”

Southland Transportation is proud to partner with the Los Amigos Project to give these vehicles a new life in Mexico and make a difference in people’s lives.

PWT was featured prominently in a recent CBC Calgary news story reporting a huge jump in transit usage in Banff National Park. 2023 saw more visitors leave their vehicles at home to take advantage of On-it Regional Transit, Roam Local Transit and the Parks Canada Shuttle service operated by Diversified Transportation.

Diversified Transportation Launched its Parks Canada Shuttle Service in 2023

Diversified Transportation just wrapped up a very successful year one of a three-year contract to provide shuttle service to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Ridership experienced a nearly 30% increase in passengers from 2022. The scheduled service included stops to and from the Park and Ride at the Lake Louise Ski Hill to the Lake Louise lakeshore, Moraine Lake, the community of Lake Louise, and the Lake Louise Campground.

On-It Regional Transit Had a Record-Breaking Year

With 4 million visitors a year coming to Banff National Park, On-It Regional Transit saw a dramatic increase in ridership.

The summer of 2023 was the service’s busiest season ever, with 976 journeys, the introduction of a Thursday evening service and 42,745 tickets sold – an increase of 72.9% (24,724 in 2022). On-it also ended the season with a seat utilization of 84.22%, an increase of 10.8%.

Not only did On-it see record numbers of travellers, but it extended service to Thanksgiving weekend for the first time and saw unprecedented ticket sales, with seats at 98.57% of capacity.

Jonathan Weal, Director of Business Development, says there are big plans to build on the success of 2023.

“Our goal, and that of our partners, is to increase service daily during the summer months and weekends throughout the year. Our thanks to our partners at Roam Transit, the Town of Banff, the Town of Canmore and Parks Canada for their support and belief in this service and for the drivers and support staff at Southland Calgary for making this a reality every weekend.”

Southland has operated the On-it Calgary to Bow Valley route (Banff and Canmore) since 2017. Initially, the project was a joint venture between the Calgary Regional Partnership and the Towns of Banff, Canmore and Parks Canada. After the dissolution of the Calgary Regional Partnership in early 2018, Southland has been awarded successive contracts through RFP, most recently in 2022.

Southland continues to provide the Transportation, ticket booking through Betterez, Customer Service through our Call Centre, and Service Ambassadors at the stops in Calgary and Banff.