Two transit operators nominated for the Calgary White Hat Awards

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It is the film trope that each western fan is aware of: the great guys all the time put on white hats.

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Now two Calgary Transit operators have earned reputations for being there to assist when wanted, and every has been nominated for the annual Calgary White Hat Awards.

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This would be the sixtieth yr for the awards, which acknowledge excellence within the providers and tourism sector.

Bus drivers Grant Massie and Catherine DeWolfe are every up for one of many awards, although neither is bound who nominated them or what they did to get the nod.

“The white hat individuals, they conduct interviews and on the interviews they mentioned: ‘We do not inform individuals, we simply interview them,’ ” Massie mentioned.

He mentioned for him the job is all about getting individuals to their locations and seeing acquainted faces as individuals return to transit after the pandemic.

“They’re glad to see me driving and I’m glad to see them,” he mentioned. “They arrive again with my bus and I get a full load of individuals by the point it will get to town centre. And there’s a excellent environment with individuals on the bus.”

DeWolfe can be at midnight about why she was nominated.

“I used to be instructed I used to be straight nominated for work associated to kids,” she mentioned. “I positively have a coronary heart for kids.”

She relegated her curiosity in engaged on transit to a CTrain journey when she was about 5 years previous.

She was on a crowded prepare coming residence from a hockey recreation together with her father when a CTrain operator invited her into the management sales space.

“The motive force of the CTrain observed that I used to be pushed up in opposition to the door, and he opened the door and simply mentioned, ‘Are available in right here.’ And he let me drive the prepare.”

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DeWolfe now passes on her information to curious kids. She mentioned she likes to speak to youngsters who’ve questions concerning the bus. She additionally palms out non permanent tattoos to kids and typically adults.

She mentioned she additionally enjoys giving journey recommendation to transit customers, particularly guests who could not know what sights to go to.

Each drivers mentioned regardless of latest tales within the information of dangerous interactions on the transit system, their day-to-day experiences are largely optimistic.

DeWolfe mentioned there’s a camaraderie amongst transit staff.

“When you put on the uniform, I could not know your identify and will by no means know your identify. However I’ve your again. You could have my again. We’re all there to assist one another.”

Stephanie Richard, a transit relations specialist with Calgary Transit, mentioned it is commonplace to see a couple of transit operators nominated for White Hat awards annually.

“These operators work very laborious to face out, to be totally different, and to go above and past to point out their dedication and laborious work,” mentioned Richard. “I’d say that they’re distinctive, and for that they’re acknowledged and they’re only a nice illustration of the group on the whole.”

Greater than 650 individuals have been nominated for the 2023 awards. Twenty awards will likely be given out.

The White Hat Awards Gala Ceremony will likely be held on Could 24 on the Jubilee Auditorium.

brthomas@postmedia.com
Twitter: @brodie_thomas