Coach Canada
For approximately three years I drove part time for Coach Canada. That provided me the opportunity to meet many wonderful and interesting people while driving regular bus routs and charters.
Toronto to Kingston Scheduled Service
Much of my work with Coach Canada was driving scheduled runs between Toronto and Kingston, Welland, Niagara Falls and other communities. Often I was sent to the Toronto bus terminal to serve whatever route on which the primary bus was filled so I frequently did not know where I was going when I left home in the morning. I also drove the Toronto to Buffalo leg of the New York City run which had the added challenge of crossing the border.
World Youth Day 2002 Charter
This was an interesting and challenging run. We were chartered to take three bus loads of students from Italy who were attending the world youth event to Niagara Falls for the day, back to a Catholic church in Welland for supper and to the exhibition grounds at the CNE for a rally in the evening. They were a great group but they were not aware of the bus restrictions in Niagara Falls so the drivers had to plan out their day to drop them off where busses were permitted to stop.
Finding an Old Friend
A couple of years ago I went on a Stonecroft sponsored Niagara Winery Tour. To my surprise our driver was Jack who was my driver trainer when I worked for Coach Canada. It is a small world.
To Drive Again?
It was nice to sit behind the wheel of a bus and it made me wish I was driving rather than taking the winery tour. Unfortunately I gave up my class ABMZ license and with new regulations it would be a costly proposition to get it back again.
Nice Equipment
The Prevost and MCI busses operated by Coach Canada are quality equipment and well maintained. There are certainly lots of systems, gauges and controls that one has to know how to operate.