Pandemic puts limo business in limbo

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This article was published 16/04/2021 (1974 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local limousine driver is selling his vehicles to get by, and La Salle residents are rallying to garner support and business for him.

Sam Harb is the owner and head driver of Oak Bluff Limo, a 24-hour shuttle service based in the Rural Municipality of Macdonald.

Before COVID-19 attacked Manitoba, folks would call for rides to weddings, socials, sports games, graduations and anniversary celebrations. Harb or a family member would take one of the company’s eight limousines — or Harb’s school bus — to transport people where they needed to go.

But people aren’t going out as much, and the calls have stopped coming. Harb has been refunding deposits for the past year and crossing out plans.

“Nothing’s been happening at all,” Harb said. “I’m hoping for the summer. Hopefully, hopefully it’ll lift up a little bit.”

In the meantime, Harb sold his school bus on Facebook Marketplace. He’d use it to take a large group of sports fans to hockey and football games in the city, or to shuttle wedding parties and guests to and from rural venues.

Harb said he put one of his limousines up for sale at Associated Auto Auction. He plans to keep at least two to three limousines for his business.

Michelle McDonald, a La Salle resident who works at RAM Engineering in town, decided to go out for dinner in April with her husband and, at the last minute, called Harb for a ride.

RAM Engineering gets Harb to transport its employees home after work functions where people have had alcohol, like Christmas parties. McDonald said Harb is like a neighbour.

“He’s a good man,” she said. “He’s part of our community, even though he doesn’t live in La Salle.”

He’ll go the extra step to ensure people get home safely, McDonald said.

“I know I could call him in the middle of the night and say ‘Sam, I’m stuck, I need a ride,’” she said. “He would do anything to come get you — that’s the type of man he is. It’s not because he’s trying to run a business or trying to make a dollar; he’s just got that kind of heart.”

After speaking with Harb, McDonald learned his limo business was struggling. So, she made a post on a La Salle community Facebook page encouraging people to call Harb if they’re going out for dinner or need a ride somewhere.

“A lot of times it’s out of sight, out of mind,” McDonald said. “When we’re all busy running around … we think about it, but right now we’re not thinking about it and we’ve got to just do a little extra.”

Jessica Duncan, a La Salle resident, saw McDonald’s social media message. It lined up well with her family date night on April 7 — she, her husband and three daughters were going to Boston Pizza. It was the anniversary of a spontaneous fancy dinner the Duncans had at home during lockdown last year.

So, Duncan hired Harb. Her three children were surprised to see a limousine roll up to their driveway.

“It was the best feeling ever, seeing my kids lose their marbles,” she said.

The kids spent most of the drive to the city questioning Harb, and he made easy banter with them, Duncan said.

While the family ate dinner, Harb bought each child a bag of candy, which he gave when he picked them up.

“Right to the bone, this man is a rockstar,” Duncan said. “We were blown away.”

Most of Harb’s customers come from La Salle, Oak Bluff, Starbuck, Morris and Ste. Agathe. He doesn’t advertise; word of mouth seems to work, he said.