Methinks everybody knows Minister Dominic Cardy and his boss can change the rules with a stroke of their wicked little pens N'esy Pas?

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies



David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos

Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 49 others

Methinks everybody knows Minister Dominic Cardy and his boss can change the rules with a stroke of their wicked little pens N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2018/11/methinks-everybody-knows-minister.html

 #nbpoli #cdnpoli


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/norman-richardson-miramichi-school-bus-driver-shortage-1.4912689

Miramichi man blames 'stupid' rules for shortage of school bus drivers

144 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.

  


David Amos

Methinks everybody knows that the new Minister Dominic Cardy and his boss can change the rules with a stroke of their wicked little pens which they used to send me a note and a bunch of Tims treats which I fed to a stray cat I named Mr Higgs N'esy Pas?

Marc Martin

@David Amos

Is that in you biography below Davis ?

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

David Amos

@Marc Martin Methinks you should make certain that your lawyer reads every word of that website and my lawsuit against the Queen found within it in particular N'esy Pas?

Marguerite Deschamps

The one making these stupid rules should take heed to former U.S. president Calvin Coolidge:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence,” he said. “Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

David Amos

@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks one quote deserves another particularly as it pertains to your blatant contempt toward me N'esy Pas?

Kurt Cobain, André Gide and even Marilyn Monroe all said

“I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not”

Content disabled.
Marguerite Deschamps

Come on David so hypersensitive, mon petit chou!

Fay Briggs

Nancy Champion of the Department of Education most likely has a class 5 drivers license. She has no idea what it takes to drive a transport truck or a school bus. Therefore she is not qualified to do the job she has in the Department of Education. And should not be enforcing something she has no idea about.

Marguerite Deschamps

@Fay Briggs, totally agree. I, for one, with all the formal education I have, admit that I would not be fit to drive a school bus; but this man is. - This man is probably smarter than many with PhDs.

Dan Lee

@Marguerite Deschamps
I had my licence but lost it due to health issues.......I also dove trucks......not the same

David Amos

@Marguerite Deschamps "This man is probably smarter than many with PhDs."

Methinks he likely has far more common sense and ethics than you SANB people could dream of N'esy Pas?

Marguerite Deschamps

@David Amos, what would you know about common sense?

 
Matt Steele

As with any job ; there has to be some min. standards , and constantly lowering them is not really a solution ; and driving a school bus is a very responsible job where safety is paramount . I did notice that in one photo that this gentleman is using a chainsaw without any type of hardhat , ear , or eye protection which is considered very unsafe ......sometimes a photo is worth a thousand words .

Marc Martin

@Matt Steele

Actually its not even the proper way to use a chainsaw.

eddy watts

@Matt Steele Brilliant reply....couldn't have stated the case any better.

Marc Martin

@Shawn McShane

why are you voting on your own posts ?

Anne Bérubé

@Matt Steele Cool your jets people, he probably just took a chainsaw in his hands to take a picture, not to actually cut wood...dah..

.

Gabriel Boucher

@Matt Steele: Plus, hiring a 67 year old to drive a bus is not exactly looking good either. Judgement and eyesight goes downhill at that age.

Marc Martin

@Gabriel Boucher

actually after 60 you need to do your bus test every year.

Stanley Beemish

@Matt Steele
This is one of the most embarrassing pieces of clickbait that I think I have ever seen on the CBC. At the very least though, I think they have effectively advertised to younger unemployed Miramichiers that there is a severe shortage of bus drivers.

David Amos

@Marc Martin "Actually its not even the proper way to use a chainsaw."

Methinks its rather obvious he is not using it he is posing for a picture for CBC N'esy Pas?

David Amos

@Marc Martin "why are you voting on your own posts ?"

Methinks its probably because he has read the documents pertaining to what went down between Richardson's brother in law the former Speaker Tanker Malley and I in 2006 N'esy Pas?

Content disabled.
Marc Martin

@David Amos

Is that on this site Davis ?

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

David Amos

@Marc Martin YUP

Jim Joe Jackson

He has had 50 years to get a GED, which is not a difficult piece of paper to obtain.

Marc Martin

@Jim Joe Jackson

For most people its hard to learn a language in 50 years can you imagine how many years it would take him to do a GED ?

Joseph Vacher

@Marc Martin

GED - also has a chance of passing the exam without knowing fluent Chiac

Marc Martin

@Joseph Vacher

you know chiac ? I haven't learn that language yet. Maybe you should have learned the French language and you could have earned yourself a skill and maybe get a government job !!

Mary MacKenzie

@Marc Martin It's not the same as learning a second language.

Dan Lee

@Mary MacKenzie
no but it will get you by in places..............

Murray Brown

@Jim Joe Jackson ... If you're 50 and you're still alive you should get an automatic GED certificate. It's a piece of paper and if Mr. Richardson were in school today he would have a high school diploma because they no longer fail students... Everybody gets a passing grade and graduation diploma.

Marc Martin

@Mary MacKenzie

Of course its not, instead of having to pass and concentrate on ONE subject you need to concentrate on SEVERAL one, do you see what I am getting at here ?

David Amos

@Marc Martin "you see what I am getting at here ?"

Methinks everybody knows what you have been up to for months N'esy Pas?

Content disabled.
Marc Martin

@David Amos

K Davis Armos, if you say so it must be true :(

David Amos

@Marc Martin "By the way you did notice I said Federal Government of Canada right ? You can stop calling that poor provincial guy now lol.

Methinks ye may be a Senior Program Operations Officer for the Feds N'esy Pas?

 
Ben Robinson

"We have a lot of educated people but they're not very smart." ... What a great line. So very true.

Roland Godin

@Ben Robinson
In français we are educated by our family and community, and instruction is a school fontion...eh! voilà.

reginald churchill

@Roland Godin -------all done with special funding from New Brunswick tax dollar's

Roland Godin

@reginald churchill
Of which we pay for youall, remember we have all the jobs eh! and are double taxed beause we respect la loi sur les deux langues officielles...eh!voilà.

John Jude

@Roland Godin

I'm fluently bilingual in English and French, and I can't understand most of your posts. Pick a language to post in, then try your hardest to use proper spelling, syntax, and grammar.

Marc Martin

@reginald churchill

I fund you schools, your festivals and museums so what's your point?

Marc Martin

@John Jude

Why should he do that ? Using google translate does not make you fluently bilingual....

reginald churchill

@Marc Martin -------in 2017 above and beyond everyone else in the Atlantic Canada the Acadian communities received 1,000,000 tax dollars to promote Acadian day. to show case their culture and language . waste of tax money

Marc Martin

@reginald churchill

And Ontario received over 25 million to host the commonwealth games for 1 week, so what's your point ?

reginald churchill

@Marc Martin -----point is this is New Brunswick not Ontario. In case you haven't noticed the population is a lot less in N.B therefore N.B tax base is lower , and I am not interested in what Ontario does with their tax money

Marc Martin

@reginald churchill

Well SANB receives their money from Heritage Canada and so did the commonwealth games....So it comes out of the same department.

*In case you haven't noticed the population is a lot less in N.B therefore N.B tax base is lower *

Heritage Canada is a FEDERAL AGENCY all the 30 000 000 of people across contributes to this. You didn't know ? .......

reginald churchill

@Marc Martin -------I do know that spending any taxes on games, parties, and culture is a waste when hospitals ,schools and homeless people including our veterans have minimal funding

Marc Martin

@reginald churchill

You didn't know that the money that SANB receives is from Heritage Canada tough... :)

David Amos

@Marc Martin "You didn't know that the money that SANB receives is from Heritage Canada tough... :)"

Methinks your boss knows that I knew that In fact that is one of the many reasons I have been emailing and calling contacted the Federal Minister N'esy Pas/

Content disabled.
Marc Martin

@David Amos

Yes I just found out what you been doing...Your a bad boy !!

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

 
Fred Brewer

Why have this idiotic rule in the first place? Whatever happened to the job interview and resume process where undesirable applicants are weeded out? This man is over-qualified for the job. He is licensed to drive an 80,000 pound 18 wheeler. What the heck does a high school diploma have to do with driving a school bus safely?

And please. It should be clear to everyone that the photo was posed for the article. He is standing on the edge of his plowed driveway, not in a woodlot.

Marc Martin

@Fred Brewer

He should have done a proper picture....just saying..

Shawn McShane

@Marc Martin It is not Mr. Richardson's fault that people lack common sense and can't tell the difference between a pose and real life.

Content disabled. 
Marc Martin

@Shawn McShane

Awww I understand now, your protecting your kind....

David Amos

@Marc Martin "He should have done a proper picture....just saying."

Methinks you have no right to judge anyone's actions particularly when it come to being proper N'esy Pas?

Content disabled. 
Marc Martin

@David Amos

Davis !!! I found this :

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

 



  
Tim Raworth

It did not say if he could speak French. Does anyone really believe the Francophone school system would hire anyone who does not?

Marc Martin

@Tim Raworth

And there ya go, make everything a language issue !!!

Tim Raworth

@Marc Martin Its the truth. If they would relax language laws, then they would have more applicants. You spend to much time listening to the propaganda from the politicions about how wonderfull OB is. They are only looking for your vote. Thats what they do.

Roland Godin

@Tim Raworth
It is like Jacques Brel wrote, for me, for me, formidable...et voilà.

Marc Martin

@Tim Raworth

Yep totally making it a language issue ...AGAIN!!!! Clap clap...

Tim Raworth

@Marc Martin Welcome to NB

reginald churchill

@Marc Martin --------Mr. Martin it would seem that in your past postings you do the same.

Dan Lee

@reginald churchill
Oh...jeeez here comes mr innocent

Marc Martin

@reginald churchill

your so polite....

David Amos

@Marc Martin "your so polite...."

Methinks he should give you lessons N'esy Pas?

BTW The correct English spelling and sentence structure is as follows:

You're so polite

Content disabled. 
Marc Martin

@David Amos

I found what your about :

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

  
Eric D Wishart

There is a lot more to this story than you have posted, the drivers in the districts on the north-shore get paid substantially more than those in Anglophone West. the union knows about this for a few years but has done nothing to correct. I submit this should go to the Ombudsman or Human Rights.

Anne Bérubé

@Eric D Wishart I agree but they are under the same governance and their expertise is mostly complaints from prisoners about the wrong shampoo and about too much ham served at those institutions....so good luck!

Shawn McShane

@Eric D Wishart Francophone school bus driver pay 'starts' at $20.18 per hour.

Can't find on any website what the pay is for Anglophone bus drivers, it just states In accordance with the current collective agreement between CUPE and Treasury Board. Other sites list the 'average' Anglophone bus driver pay at $17.03 per hour.

Marc Martin

@Eric D Wishart

That's because your English school buses are under your English school administration. Solution : Maybe talk to your English school administration ?

Dan Lee

@Shawn McShane
I just talked to payroll officer for school bus drivers......same rate 20.28

Shawn McShane

@Dan Lee Why don't they post it on the Anglophone website like they do on the Francophone website? Why do they hide it?

http://francophonesud.nbed.nb.ca/2018/07/le-dsf-s-a-un-urgent-besoin-de-chauffeurs-dautobus-scolaire-suppleant/

Content disabled. 
David Amos

@Marc Martin "Maybe talk to your English school administration ?"

Methinks that maybe you SANB people should talk to Minister Dominic Cardy He speaks the Quebec lingo very well N'esy Pas?

Marc Martin

@Shawn McShane

French bus drivers are paid 30$ an hour...(eyes rolling)

David Amos

@Marc Martin "French bus drivers are paid 30$ an hour...(eyes rolling)"

Methinks a lot of folks would like to know how much we pay you N'esy Pas?

Content disabled. 
Marc Martin

@David Amos

What are you talking about again Davis ?

Marc Martin

@David Amos

* we pay you *

You don't pay me the government of Canada does, you do contribute to the amount the government is paying me, I ty for you .005 cents a month you contribute to my salary.

Content disabled.
Marc Martin

@David Amos

By the way you did notice I said Federal Government of Canada right ? You can stop calling that poor provincial guy now lol.  ,

Content disabled.
Marc Martin

@David Amos

Great read:

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

David Amos

Content disabled.
@Marc Martin "Great read:"

Methinks you and your boss can never claim that you have not read my lawsuit against the Queen Correct? Trust that I am laughing at the fact you posted a link to the most egregious domain on the planet. I have no doubt whatsoever that you spend a lot of time there while purportedly working for We the Canadian Citizens who pay your wages N'esy Pas?

David Amos

@David Amos Methinks a major faux pas was made in blocking that reply N'esy Pas?

 Content disabled.
Marc Martin

@David Amos

But you asked me to look up you name Davis....Why are you now so mad ?

David Amos

@Marc Martin "You don't pay me the government of Canada does, you do contribute to the amount the government is paying me, I ty for you .005 cents a month you contribute to my salary."

Methinks whereas you post things everyday all day I have a fairly good idea what your job is I bet you already know that I am doing my best to get you fired N'esy Pas?

Rod McLeod

Too funny considering an average grade 12 graduate can likely, barely read or write. I know some who can't read a dial clock or cursive writing. I also expect doing simple math without a calculator is a major struggle.

bob jones

@Rod McLeod ya you are sooooo right.Ive seen it myself.

David Amos

@bob jones Who cares?

 Thomas Johnson

I think they probably need a degree in crowd control these days.

Shawn McShane

@Thomas Johnson Then he is the man for the job! Grew up the eldest boy in a family of 14 children, has his 4th degree black belt in karate, teaches martial arts to many children, has a licence to drive a tractor, an excavator and a tractor-trailer.

Marc Martin

@Shawn McShane

* Grew up the eldest boy in a family of 14 children, has his 4th degree black belt in karate, teaches martial arts to many children, has a licence to drive a tractor, an excavator and a tractor-trailer.*

The way your talking, maybe he should be applying for a teachers job....

David Amos

@Marc Martin Methinks many folks must be wondering if you SANB people even bother to read the articles you are commenting about N'esy Pas?

Marc Martin

@David Amos

I wonder every time what your talking about......Like right now you have commented on my post without even check who I replied too...

Thomas Johnson

@Shawn McShane :)

David Amos

@Marc Martin "I wonder every time what your talking about"

AND

"You don't pay me the government of Canada does, you do contribute to the amount the government is paying me,"

Methinks the light is beginning to dawn on your marblehead N'esy Pas?

  
David Guitard

Common sense is not very common.

David Amos

@David Guitard Methinks it is the ultimate oxymoron The more folks are educated the more they lose N'esy Pas?

Lou Bell

There are so many unqualified and yet " educated " people in the Dept . of Education that hiring this gentleman would certainly be an improvement to the Department , hands down .

Marc Martin

@Lou Bell

You do realize that they are talking about the English department of education right ? LOL

David Amos 

@Marc Martin Methinks you Quebeckers should learn to read the English words written in this article about Francophone perhaps your boss will eplain it to you N'esy Pas?

"Earlier this week, Francophone School District South said more than 100 school buses have reported significant delays this school year because of a shortage of regular and casual drivers from Dieppe all the way to the Miramichi.

Both parents and teachers are concerned that students are missing class time because of the delays.

Marc Martin

@David Amos

But the person in this article is talking about Buses In Miramichi...Not the ones from Dieppe...Pour Davis...

bob jones

@David Amos like who cares?

David Amos

@bob jones "like who cares?" NOBODY

Methinks that exactly my point hence we get the governments we deserve N'esy Pas?

  







 
Lou Bell

Overqualified for a Dept. of Education position . Especially at their Head Office .

Marc Martin

@Lou Bell

...if you say so......No Comment........ lol

David Amos

@Marc Martin Methinks he who laughs last laughs best N'esy Pas?

 
David Amos

Methinks everybody knows that the new Minister Dominic Cardy and his boss can change the rules with a stroke of their wicked little pens which they used to send me a note and a bunch of Tims treats which I fed to a stray cat I named Mr Higgs N'esy Pas?

Marc Martin

@David Amos

Is that in you biography below Davis ?

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/David_Raymond_Amos

David Amos

@Marc Martin Methinks you should make certain that your lawyer reads every word of that website and my lawsuit against the Queen found within it in particular N'esy Pas?

stephen blunston

yup mor silliness, a stupid piece of paper from some school means nothing i know a lot of people that have multipl university degrees but dumb as a fence post . i would say this man has proven that he can drive he has the driving certificates and licences.. same ol same ol its not what you actually know , but who you knowor some useless paper says you know , and we wonder why nothing gets done , same as our leaders apearently have the papers but not the no how or brains

David Amos 

@stephen blunston Methinks whoever make the rule that upset a family while I was running in the last election in Sussex set a new record in being as dumb as a fence post N'esy Pas?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/french-immersion-francophone-school-district-asd-1.4814847

"The new arrival from Quebec had hoped to ease her unilingual francophone daughter, Hayden Thibeault, into the overwhelmingly anglophone community through the French immersion program.

The two registered for immersion at Sussex Middle School in June and were under the impression through the summer that Hayden would start classes there this fall.
Last-minute switch

But on arrival for the school's Aug. 29 open house, they were told Hayden could not attend immersion and had been registered without their knowledge in the English program.

"I thought it was a mistake, so I went to see the English teacher, asking her about it and she said, 'well, they just changed it today. And you should go see the principal.'

"She [Hayden] was devastated, she was crying. She doesn't want to go in English because she doesn't understand enough."

The child has now been registered at École Samuel-de-Champlain, in Saint John, something Boulianne had hoped to avoid so her daughter could make friends and take part in after-school activities in Sussex.
Sonia Boulianne and husband Mike Sharp. Boulianne's daughter, Hayden Thibeault, will have to travel to Saint John every day to school. (CBC)

A transportation plan has not yet been established, but Boulianne said her daughter will likely commute to the city daily by taxi, a 78-kilometre, 58-minute trip each way.

Marguerite Deschamps

@David Amos, it's the Anglophone district that did that to her, you forget to say,.. or deliberately left it out.

Lou Bell

@Marguerite Deschamps No , It is a provincial rule ! But go ahead spin Marguerite , SPIN !

Mario Doucet

Last name not French enough.

Marc Martin

@Mario Doucet

My last name is not English enough.................... :(

bob jones

@Marc Martin well go drive a bus.they are looking for Francais with degrees in French lit

David Amos

@Marc Martin My last name is not English enough.................... :(

Methinks it was a French name first N'esy Pas?

David Amos

@David Amos Methinks on the topic of names perhaps you should yours and mine together sometime N'esy Pas?

Marguerite Deschamps

@Mario Doucet, well yours is French enough!

david herman

@Marguerite Deschamps
Obviously, dear Margaret, you're not paying attention. Mario will be the first to tell you he IS against the segregation/split of 'races' "in dis place", la. You catching my drift?

David Amos

@david herman Methinks the lady only understands what she wishes to understand in order to spin the narrative for her benefit N'esy Pas?

Roland Godin

@Mario Doucet
Shewing on your french fry again, be careful not to have an indigestion needing hospital services, that would be quite costy to public finances...eh!

Roland Godin

@David Amos
Aren't we all understanding what we wish to understand, and can do it in les deux langues officielles, you should try changing disk...eh!voilà.

David Amos

@Roland Godin No Way Jose

 
Miles .P Kilomesen

hell let him drive a school bus, he has a 4th degree in black belt that should carry some weight when it comes to unruly kids on the bus, besides being licensed to drive just about any vehicle on the roads in N.B. yep it is a pretty dumb law on the books not finishing highschool

David Amos

@Miles .P Kilomesen I agree

Shirley Nedoborski

I’m one of the oldest sisters .
Yes he had to quit school at 15 to help my dad, we were very obedient to our parents then. It was a sad day for him.
We all speak French and English .
Knowing my brother, he just wanted to help out, now this big issues, about grade 12. He work all his life to help all of if us going to school . Still helping his grand children going to school.
He deserved better than that.
I would give him a grade 12 honorary diploma.
Hats off for you brother, in my book you did very well
Sister Shirley Nedoborski

Content disabled.
David Amos

@Shirley Nedoborski Perhaps you should read my comments and tell him to pick up the phone when I call?

David Amos

@Shirley Nedoborski BTW Your brother and I just talked and we got along just dandy.

 
david herman

Need a diploma from high school to drive a school bus 'in dis place'?
Hilarious...but I'm left to wonder how the french drivers got to get their cushy seats then.
I mean, It MUST have something to do with (a complete) segregation of the system?
Unbelievable, 'dis place' is..unbelievable.

Roland Godin

@david herman
French drivers, you should ask the question to the proper authorité in France, wrong country...eh!.

David Amos

@david herman Welcome to the Circus

Marguerite Deschamps

@David Amos, here comes the clown!

David Amos

@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you are the star of the show N'esy Pas?

David Amos

@Marguerite Deschamps "Come on David so hypersensitive, mon petit chou!"

Methinks you were not being sincere as usual N'esy Pas?

Jim Johnston

Likely there is a good reason for bus drivers needing a grade 12 or ged. And the only effort required is to show up to school - unfortunate Mr Richardson that he had to leave school to help support the family. But you would think with someone who claims that education is important that he would have found time in the intervening 52 years to do the GED. As for a reason - maybe the bus drivers in having such complete and arbitrary control over the children riding on their buses should be at least as educated and hopefully smarter, than those they are driving.

David Amos

@Jim Johnston Oh my my Methinks there is a reason in all the years I was in business I never once asked one person I was considering hiring about their education it was their attitude and whether or not they could do the job that truly mattered. Trust that you would have given me enough reasons not to hire you in one comment because we would be like oil and water N'esy Pas?

Lou Bell

@Jim Johnston Not sure of your education , but I'm sure there are a lot out there with much less who are quite a bit smarter .

Jim Johnston

@David Amos And more than likely I would have never applied for a job with you as I have worked in a job that does require more than a high school diploma - and you know - there are lots of those - plumber, electrician, mechanic, carpenter, police officer, game warden, surveyor, nurse - not to mention all the "professions". Education and "smarts" certainly do not go hand in hand but smarts usually require an inquiring and thinking mind which usually precludes judgement and jumping to conclusion with out all the information.

Jim Johnston

@Lou Bell See the last couple of lines of my response to Mr Amos.

Lou Bell

@Jim Johnston There are still a lot of mechanics/ carpenters and other " self taught " professionals out there who would run circles around many " self entitled professional " with a certificate . Don't let that piece of paper fool you or others ! One need only look at the leader south of the border to realize that piece of paper many times is just an insignificant piece of paper !

David Amos 

@Jim Johnston "Education and "smarts" certainly do not go hand in hand but smarts usually require an inquiring and thinking mind which usually precludes judgement and jumping to conclusion with out all the information."

Methinks its nay not so and you just proved it in spades At the very least you agreed that you and I would be like oil and water N'esy Pas?

FYI In 1060 I was accepted into Royal Military College and I did not have to write my High School finals because I got 99 on my math and physics provincial exams only because they don't give 100. I did not hire stupid people to do very technical work for the public that could prove deadly if they screwed up. I needed clever people to fix things properly with a pleasant demeanor so as not to offend my customers. In a nutshell I am the best motorcycle mechanic you ever argued who sues lawyers for fun.

David Amos

@Jim Johnston Methinks you should check out an old file of mine in case you think I am joking about suing lawyers N'esy Pas?

https://www.scribd.com/doc/2718120/integrity-yea-right

maude windsor

school buses should be privitized....government should not be managing school buses..the local school boards should be doing this. i wonder also, what does grade 12 have to do with driving school bus? many adults havent finished grade 12, but they have kept learning thru the years & are no doubt better drivers for that. education does not always be in schools.....supposed in NB today we are lucky this government is asking for french at CCC levels...keeping french votes for liberals!

David Amos

@maude windsor "school buses should be privitized"

Methinks there are a lot of parents of a certain basketball team now called the Vanangels that would strongly disagree with you.I would lay odds if their children were on a proper provincial school bus I would not be making this reply N'esy Pas?

Miramichi man blames 'stupid' rules for shortage of school bus drivers

Norman Richardson knows many skilled drivers who could get students to school, but they don't have Grade 12

Vanessa Blanch · CBC News · Posted: Nov 21, 2018 6:00 AM AT 

Norman Richardson says he can't drive a school bus in New Brunswick because he doesn't have his Grade 12 diploma, although he has plenty of experience. (Submitted by Norman Richardson)


Norman Richardson spends most of his days in the woods in Little Bartibog, outside of Miramichi. He has a licence to drive a tractor, an excavator and a tractor-trailer, but he can't drive a school bus in New Brunswick.

The 67-year-old recently heard about the shortage of school bus drivers in the province from his brother-in-law, former MLA Tanker Malley, who is a longtime bus driver in the Miramichi.


"He said, 'Oh, you should help us with the bus,' because he knew I drove tractor-trailer. He said you just got to go for a little course to make sure you know all the rules with the buses."

Richardson realized there was a problem when, shortly after that conversation, he ran into his cousin, who teaches the bus driver course.

We have a lot of educated people but they're not very smart.- Norman Richardson

"He said, 'What grade are you?' and I said, 'I went to Grade 9.' 'Oh,' he said, 'You've got to be Grade 12.'"

Since then, Richardson has spoken with a few other locals who were also turned down because they didn't have their Grade 12 diploma.

"I don't know who made that law," he said. "I bet they all went to university. And that's why this country is in such a turmoil now. We have a lot of educated people but they're not very smart."

Nothing to do with safety

Richardson said if you can operate a school bus safely and are comfortable transporting children, there's no reason you should be prevented from helping to get students to class.

"If it was something to do with safety, I'd say yes. But it's got nothing to do with safety."

Richardson, who has his 4th degree black belt in karate and teaches the martial art to many children in Miramichi, said he was told he doesn't qualify to be a school bus driver. (Submitted by Norman Richardson)

As a karate instructor, Richardson spends time with young people and children every week and is confident he could drive a school bus on the odd day, giving regular drivers like his brother-in-law a day off when they need it.

Earlier this week, Francophone School District South said more than 100 school buses have reported significant delays this school year because of a shortage of regular and casual drivers from Dieppe all the way to the Miramichi.

Both parents and teachers are concerned that students are missing class time because of the delays.
In an email statement, Nancy Champion of the Department of Education confirmed that school bus drivers must have graduated from high school or have their GED.

She said they also must have "considerable experience" operating motor vehicles.

"They must possess good communication skills and have a demonstrated ability to successfully deal with discipline in the vehicle," Champion said.

'Almost like you're a second-class citizen'

Richardson grew up the eldest boy in a family of 14 children, and when he finished Grade 9, he left school to help his father in the woods.

I did all that for other people and now they criticize you because you didn't go to school. It's not because I didn't want to.- Norman Richardson

"I loved school but my father said, 'You got to help me try to put the rest of them to school, eh? And the rest of them ... they went to university."

Richardson worked with his father cutting wood and said his siblings went on to become doctors, lawyers, and engineers.

"When you get to my age, it's almost like you're a second-class citizen in New Brunswick. Because you didn't go to grade 12," he said.

He has continued to make his living as a contractor, working in the woods, and all of his children also graduated from university.

Richardson left school after Grade 9 to help his father work in the woods near Miramichi. As the eldest boy in his family of 14 children, he worked to send everyone else to university. (Submitted by Norman Richardson)

"You're kind of punished when you think about it. I did all that for other people and now they criticize you because you didn't go to school. It's not because I didn't want to."

Richardson said whoever is in charge of hiring school bus drivers in New Brunswick should take another look at the qualifications.

"I just thought it was kind of stupid. Just because you didn't go to Grade 12 that you couldn't drive a school bus. I'm not going to go back to school to try to get Grade 12 to try to be a spare bus driver — that doesn't make sense either."

About the Author

 

Vanessa Blanch

Reporter

Vanessa Blanch is a reporter based in Moncton. She has worked across the country for CBC for nearly 20 years. If you have story ideas to share please e-mail: vanessa.blanch@cbc.ca

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|