Kelowna driver gives high school life skills class a memorable trip

A Grade 11 Life Skills class in West Kelowna got on a Route 97 bus in early November, and Darcy Hamilton made sure they not only felt welcome onboard but were also entertained by his positive energy…and singing voice!

Mount Boucherie Secondary School (MBSS) has a Life Skills class designed to support students with diverse learning needs by teaching them practical skills for daily living, social interactions, and employment. The school has bus passes that they use every couple of weeks for field studies, and on November 6 they took the bus to and from Okanagan Lake Shopping Centre. When the bus doors opened for the group’s return trip at the Westside Road Station, Darcy Hamilton’s smiling face was there to greet them.

This must have felt like a full circle moment for Darcy, who has a personal connection to the school.

“My niece Destinni has significant support needs, and she took similar Life Skills classes at Mount Boucherie several years ago,” said Darcy Hamilton. “Destinni has an extremely rare genetic disorder called Weaver Syndrome. She’s non-verbal, and we just love her so much. She’s older now but I used to sing and dance for her all the time to entertain her. So being around people with diverse learning needs is nothing new to me.”

The trip from the Westside Road Station to Boucherie Mountain Exchange is roughly ten minutes, but that was plenty of time for Darcy to make a major impression! The MBSS Life Skills teacher shared her experience that day through our online customer feedback form.

The students I had with me had various disabilities and he was so kind to them, while still doing his job efficiently. There were very few people on the bus other than our class and Mr. Hamilton, after being welcoming as we entered the bus, started singing the “Wheels on the Bus” song loudly so our students could hear. It totally delighted them and brightened everyone’s spirits including the other folks on the bus (I could see them start to smile at the reaction of my students). He went above and beyond to help us have a wonderful moment on the bus – something we’re practicing in life skills. Thank you for hiring wonderful staff like this that make riding the bus a positive experience, especially for those that might not always feel confident in using the services.

Darcy has been driving in Kelowna for about nine years and takes pride in having a positive attitude and making the bus fun for everyone, especially kids.

“I’ve been singing the Wheels on the Bus for kids for years, even though I’m a horrible singer. The way I see it, you get the energy you give. If you go to work with a happy attitude, and project it to people, then they’ll project it back and everyone will have a better day because of it.”

Transdev presented Darcy Hamilton with a letter of commendation for the impact he had on that Life Skills class, and it should come as no surprise that this isn’t the first such recognition on his file.

The world can sometimes feel challenging, especially for people who experience barriers or have diverse abilities. But that ten minute bus ride on November 6 showed a group of students that there are good and kind people in the world, including behind the wheel of a Route 97 bus in Kelowna.