OSTA's annual Drivers Appreciation Day took place Saturday

As another school year wraps up, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) held its annual Drivers Appreciation Day on Saturday to commemorate those in charge of that big yellow bus.

Bus and van drivers and their families pooled into Confederation Education Centre in Nepean – the walls lined with cards and art, thanking them for their work over a particularly challenging year for the service.

"We know it's been a difficult year for our families," said OSTA general manager Joel Lemieux. "We would hope that everyone take the time as well to recognize their drivers individually for the work that they've done this year."

Back in October, OSTA scrambled to fill 71 positions to cover its more than 1,000 routes. Officials say most of the long-term route cancellations were dealt with by March, and with the announcement of a revamped website, they are in a good position for the fall.

Some of the drivers awarded Saturday had stepped in this year to work overtime to cover as many of the cancelled routes as possible.

Others were honoured for their work in building an inclusive space for their young passengers.

"There was one specific child who was being bullied all the time and I refused to have any bullying in my vehicle," recalled driver Diane Paquette. "Ever since then, whenever he sees me at a shopping center or anything like that, he'll yell out to me, 'hi Diane,' and he's in his twenties now!"

Paquette has been a van driver for special needs children for nearly 30 years. Despite leaving a lasting impact on the students she transports, she says she never expected to be recognized for her work.

"We hear a lot of negativity from the parents or the schools - we don't hear the positive," Paquette said.

"It's a tough job," said Lemieux, a former bus driver. "They don't always get the recognition that they deserve, so we feel that it's incumbent upon us to take the time to recognize them."

There was applause aplenty for Paquette and 10 other drivers who went above and beyond this year. She extends the commemoration to every driver working to get kids safely to school every day.

"There are a lot of drivers who are very committed to what they do, and it’s nice to be recognized," she said. "It’s something that we don’t hear enough."