EDMONTON -- When Leonard Bauder started working on Edmonton's LRT system, people read their news in a paper. Decades later, the retiring Edmonton Transit System worker says he sees more iPads.
"That's pretty well the biggest change," Bauder told CTV News Edmonton.
When he was in Grade 9, an aptitude test told Bauder he was best suited to become a bus driver. Eventually, he joined ETS for a three-year stint starting in 1979, and then returned for a 35-year run starting in 1985.
Friday was Bauder's favourite day on the job, as it involved achieving a life goal.
"I thought one of my bucket lists was sing to my passengers," he explained. The motorman is a member of three different choirs.
"You hear drivers that give the news or the weather over the PA system. And I thought well, it’s my bucket list."
At least one passenger riding between the Century Park and McKernan/Belgravia stations recorded the moment Bauder crooned Herman Hupfeld-written "As Time Goes By," and after, Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies."
"Fortunately yesterday we did have a blue sky, so it was nice."
He says passengers waved to him through the window as they got off.
Bauder plans to spend more time singing once he's done work: "I’m excited for the future just because something different."
His last shift is a three-hour stint on Sunday. Then the motorman will celebrate his 65th anniversary.
There's another reason he chose 02-02-2020 to retire.
"You flip that backwards it’s the same thing all over again," he pointed out.
"There’s four two’s in that sequence, which is eight, which is my lucky number."
Lucky, indeed, is how Bauder may describe his time on Edmonton's trains.
"It was the best thing for me. It was, I love this job."
With a report by CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
