Evergreen Staff Spotlight

🌟 Celebrating the People Who Make Our Schools Work 🌟

Meet Tony Willmott – School Bus Driver, Route 31

For the past eight years, Tony Willmott has been a steady and reliable presence for Evergreen students, safely transporting them along Route 31 from Matlock to Gimli. After selling his business in Winnipeg, Tony decided to try something new — and school bus driving became not just a job, but a role he’s come to love. “It doesn’t really feel like a job,” Tony says. “I simply like what I’m doing. The employees are awesome, and of course, the kids make it fun and interesting.”

Bus drivers do more than transport students — they are guardians of safety. From his seat behind the wheel, Tony is constantly scanning for potential hazards and providing input to help improve student safety. In fact, the addition of patrols at Gimli High School to assist with traffic and crossings came directly from bus drivers’ recommendations.

Tony’s commitment has not gone unnoticed. He recalls one student who heard he was considering stepping back from his full-time route. When she confronted him, she told him, “Tony, you can’t leave — we need you.” For Tony, those words captured the trust and connection he’s built with the students he drives each day. “It wasn’t just about needing a bus driver,” he explains. “It was that they needed someone they knew, trusted, and enjoyed being with. I’ll always remember those kind words.”

Tony also has a deep respect for Evergreen’s teachers. He remembers how one teacher, Laura Fridfinnson, went above and beyond to help his son succeed in Pre-Calculus. When his son was struggling in the course, she recognized his potential and assured him that with the right supports and his own effort he could succeed. Thanks to her encouragement and dedication to supporting him, his son completed the course and is now finishing a degree at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Science.

“That’s what public education is all about,” Tony says. “Staff who go the extra mile to help students succeed.”

Thank YOU, Tony, for your care for student safety, the positive relationships you’ve built with Evergreen families, and for going the extra mile to help students succeed!

Interviewed by and pictured with trustee Dianna Auer