A Fresh Start

April 23, 2021

“A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet”
Will Rogers

“Follow me”, said one of the mechanics as he beckoned me to the door. We walked out to the parking lot where he pointed to an object in the box of his pickup truck. I’m sure that the discovery of King Tut’s treasure brought no greater joy...

It was the summer of 1998 and our family was on an adventure. Over the years we had enjoyed many family vacations with our children but as they got older we knew that there probably wouldn't be too many more where everyone would be able to participate. Somehow, someone came up with the idea of one big final holiday, a cross Canada trip, which would allow for a visit with family in Ontario and then travel further into Quebec and the maritime provinces. 

Wanting to camp, different modes of transportation were explored, from trailers to vans, until finally we hit upon what we thought was the perfect solution. An ad for a 1982 school bus was spotted and within a short time, we became its proud owners. The former owner had already done some of the work to convert it to a camper. With a few modifications of our own, we soon had it ready for the big trip. We headed east on July 1, Canada Day, which we thought fitting for a trip such as this.

We should have probably known that traveling in a vehicle that was already 16 years old would bring some adventures. By the time we reached Ontario, we had already had a few, including a minor oil leak and the discovery that our estimates of fuel consumption were off… way off. But after resting for a few days to visit family, we headed out once more.

After visits to Ottawa, and Quebec City, we cut across the State of Maine in order to save some miles. It was here that I first noticed that the starter seemed a bit sluggish and as the day went on, it got worse. Our first night back in Canada, we camped in New Brunswick, near the Bay of Fundy. The next morning, the starter was dead, however serendipitously, we happened to be camped on the top of a small hill so with a bit of pushing we were able to get the bus rolling down the hill and started. 

It should be easy enough to get a new starter, I reasoned. As the bus was built on a General Motors chassis, a replacement starter should be readily available. A quick search in the Saint John Yellow Pages provided a list of suitable suppliers. Careful to never shut off the engine, we spent the day, going from dealer to dealer in search of a starter. But, it became increasingly obvious that bus starters, at least that particular model, in Saint John, New Brunswick were impossible to find. And it wasn’t for lack of trying on the dealer’s part. Sensing that we were stranded tourists, they bent over backwards to try to help us out. Never has “down east” hospitality been more evident. 

Later in the afternoon, after we had exhausted all of our options, we were advised to head to Truro, Nova Scotia, a 4 hour drive, where a starter might be available.  As we headed out of Saint John, a flash of yellow caught my eye and I realized we were passing a public school bus parking and maintenance lot. We decided to pull in and ask if anyone there would know where to procure a starter for our bus. 

I walked into the shop just as the afternoon coffee break was getting underway. Catching the eye of the nearest mechanic I quickly explained our predicament. At this point another mechanic interrupted our conversation and beckoned me to follow him. He didn’t say much but as we got to his pickup truck he pointed to an object in the box and proclaimed. “That’s the starter you need. I rebuild them as a hobby and just happened to have this one with me. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it…”

Delighted with the discovery, we soon agreed on a price of $50.00. This immediately brought cries of scorn from his fellow workers as they felt he was taking advantage of us. I didn’t mention that had we been able to purchase a starter from a dealer, we had been quoted a price of over two hundred dollars! Having some tools with me, I was prepared to install the starter myself, however before I could get the words out, several mechanics had crawled under the bus and in a matter of moments the new starter was installed.

Before we left, the crew had given our bus a quick inspection and pointed out a few minor things that needed to be done. They marveled at the fact that the vehicle was in such good condition, given its age. They informed us that in New Brunswick, used buses are not allowed to be repurposed for private use, due to the extensive corrosion caused by the moisture and salt in the air near the ocean.

We went on to enjoy many more miles in the bus that summer, and the fifty dollar starter worked perfectly. We were reminded that sometimes help comes in the most unexpected ways and that our eastern citizens are every bit as hospitable as their reputation suggests.