Sweet surprises as Calgary bus driver retires after 45 years behind the wheel

The end of the road came with surprising quickness Friday for veteran Calgary Transit driver Randy Ogilvie.

“You almost don’t believe the last day of your work is coming,” Ogilvie said. “And it does.”

Family and friends joined Ogilvie for his last run, winding down 45 years as a bus driver.

A lot has changed since he first got behind the wheel in 1974, Ogilive said looking back on his career.

“When I started I was driving trolleys,” Ogilvie said. “They were pretty old and if you lost your poles you had to get out and put them back on the lines. Your hands would get black by the end of your shift.”

Ogilvie’s safety record is a highlight of his years on the road: not a single fender bender during his decades of service.

“I’m proud of him,” his wife Sandy Ogilvie said. “I’m very proud of him.”

Getting to know his passengers has brought many memorable moments for Ogilvie.

“Lots of kids that were small, next thing you know they’re adults,” Ogilvie said. “You see them years later and they’re grown up. It’s kind of cool; you remember them and they remember you. It’s just kind of neat to see that.”