Happy Retirement to Bus Driver Keith Trowbridge
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Can you imagine a Grade 11 student driving your child's school bus?
That's just what happened when a young Keith Trowbridge got his A+ license and started driving spare bus routes in his Grade 11 year. And he never stopped.
"My dad drove for Willow Creek School Division before it became part of Livingstone Range," Keith explains, "and when Dad retired, I took over."
Livingstone Range School Division Transportation Coordinator Phil McGale says that in the 52 years Keith has driven school bus, he's made almost 20,000 trips and driven nearly 2.75 million kilometers - the equivalent of driving around the earth's equator 68.5 times. "And it's all been accident-free," says Phil, adding that "Keith's routes were always on-time except for few occasions when inclement weather slowed traffic."
Keith says that his five decades of bus driving has been very rewarding. "I like driving and I like the challenge of getting kids to and from school safely each day. I've enjoyed every minute of it."
Although he had planned to work one more year, due to COVID-19 Keith decided it was time to park the bus for the last time. "I've seen a lot and I've heard a lot," Keith says, "but I've always liked the kids and related to them. I believe that given the chance and treated properly, there are no bad kids."
That connection to the students has been multi-generational. "For a few of his students," Phil says, "Keith not only drove them to and from school, but also drove their children and even a few of their grandchildren!"
Livingstone Range School Division is grateful for the dedication and professionalism that Keith consistently demonstrated throughout his career. On behalf of the many students Keith has driven over the years, their families, and everyone at LRSD, we wish Keith all the best in his retirement!
