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Dogged commuters

Happy Monday!

Back in 1981, I was 14 years old and working a part-time job at the now-defunct Capitol Theatre. I regularly rode the bus from my house on Kilbride Avenue to the downtown movie theatre on Donald Street. One afternoon, my dog, Toby, followed me to the stop on Salter Street, where I boarded the southbound No. 38. I remember taking a seat at the back of the bus and looking out the window as sweet Toby watched the bus drive away.

Dogs aren’t allowed on city buses, as Toby must have known even back then, but last week, another Winnipeg dog broke all the rules and boarded one after breaking out of her St. Vital yard.

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Bus driver Elizabeth Vaughan, with Minnie during her great bus adventure/escape. (Supplied)

Bus driver Elizabeth Vaughan, with Minnie during her great bus adventure/escape. (Supplied)

Minnie, a seven-month-old Bernese Mountain dog, was cared for by the animal-loving transit operator, who later said “it was the first time she was excited for a fare evader.”

Minnie’s family was notified and she made it back home after a 20-minute journey..

As for Toby, she was still at the same bus stop, patiently waiting for me to return later that evening. I couldn’t know then if she sat there all day, or if she had left and come back. But now, I can’t help but wonder how many buses stopped in front of her but she, unlike Minnie, didn’t get on.

Have a great week!

 

Leesa Dahl

 

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