Faces of PALS: Paul Dalton
For 25 years, Kids on the Go bus driver Paul Dalton has been bringing local school children to and from their educational activities and bringing smiles to their faces along the way.
The Kids on the Go bus is a staple of PALS (Partners Assisting Local Schools), which was founded a quarter century ago to provide youth in Saint John, N.B. with the opportunities they need to succeed.
It was important to PALS co-founder James K. Irving that children be able to go out and see the world beyond their neighbourhoods. Providing a bus free of charge to local public schools for extracurricular and co-curricular activities was vital to this vision. J.D. Irving, Limited has funded the purchase and operation of Kids on the Go buses over the years. These have enabled everything from school participation in educational and sports activities to trips to the movies, hockey games and to see holiday lights.
Driving the white bus emblazoned with the words “Kids on the Go,” Paul is an ambassador for the program. Kids walking along the street will watch for him. And when someone he used to drive comes up to say hi, Paul knows them by name.
His favourite part? “Getting a smile on a kid’s face.”
“I’ll make a little joke to them; they’ll laugh back, give you a high five. So, you know, when they’re getting off the bus you feel like you made their day,” he said.
He walked into his current role by happenstance. Getting off a shift driving for SMT at 300 Union Street one day in 2000, he was approached and asked if he could drive some kids from Prince Charles School to a sporting event.
Paul said yes – to that day’s gig and thousands of bus rides after that. In the last year alone, Kids on the Go provided more than 600 bus trips to 21 local schools.
“It’s a great feeling to see those kids get an opportunity,” he said.
At first, Paul drove for Kids on the Go part time on top of his regular bus driving job. When he retired 11 years ago, he became the full-time driver for Kids on the Go.
Whether he’s transporting high schoolers to work placements as part of PALS En Route to Success or children on a school field trip, Paul makes connections with everyone on the bus.
“One little guy, when he was older said, ‘You were my best friend in grade 4,’” Paul recollects.
Another time, one of his young charges handed him a dime to thank him for the drive.
“I made a big deal of it and told him I would buy myself a treat on the way home,” Paul said, fondly remembering the child replying, “You enjoy that!”
Some students will open up and tell him how their day is going.
“I feel like I’m kind of a grandfather to them,” he said.
Over the last 25 years, Kids on the Go has become one of the most important pieces of the PALS program. The bus has not only opened up children’s eyes to fresh opportunities and experiences, but it has also had a positive impact on literacy by giving kids experiences that they can write about.
This year, as part of the PALS 25th anniversary, J.D. Irving, Limited has purchased a new bus to keep the program rolling for a new generation of youth. As this new bus transports its first group of children, Paul will be behind the wheel.
“You try to make it fun. I try to enjoy every day,” Paul said. “You feel like you’re part of a program that’s really helping kids.”
