ATHABASCA - There are a lot of early mornings and a lot of responsibility involved when you sign up to drive a bus carrying the precious cargo of children back and forth to school, and that is why Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) started the Bus Driver of the Year Award.
AVPS established the award in 2018 to celebrate the exemplary service and dedication demonstrated by school bus drivers as they carry out the important task of transporting Aspen View students from Smith to Smoky Lake to Thorhild, and all points in between, to and from their school.
This year the award was presented on May 3 — Bus Driver Appreciation Day — to Augustin Richard who has been driving for Sparksman for six years and was nominated by the Korth family for his dedication to safely delivering the students to and from school.
“We believe Mr. Richard is very deserving of being recognized for the daily service he provides to our community,” the Korth family said in the nomination. “Each day he greets us with a smile and friendly personal greeting. Mr. Richard is dependable and always reliable, calling us if ever there is a change.”
Richard, who is 70 this year, was a paramedic in British Columbia for 27 years; 17 full-time and 10 part-time before retiring and moving to Athabasca to be near family, but he still felt like working.
“My daughter-in-law, Carrie Richard, she’s been driving for 12 or 13 years,” Richard said in a May 3 interview. “So, she’s the one that said come drive a school bus.”
He has been driving the same route for six years except for time he spent filling in for his daughter-in-law when she broke her foot.
“I knew Smith a bit, so they asked me if I go drive that route up there,” said Richard. “She drives from Smith back to Athabasca.”
He said his first pick up is just after 7 a.m. making for some very early mornings winding his way from Forfar Hall, along the old Athabasca Road and into town.
“And then I do a pick up where the old high school used to be; that's my last pick up there,” he said.
The Korth family also acknowledged his long route in their nomination.
“He has one of the earliest and longest bus routes along back roads in a variety of weather conditions,” they said. “It is sometimes a thankless job that often is not appreciated enough. We greatly appreciate his dedication to safely transporting students to and from school.”
Richard said he was pleased to have the award presented to him by Aspen View trustees Dennis MacNeil and Anne Karczmarczyk, adding his wife already had it up on the wall the same day.
“If I can put in another 5-10 years; it's a good job,” said Richard.
