Former Rochdale citizen Kathleen Andrews honoured in Canada

Date published: 18 March 2020

Lisa Andrews knew that her mother’s name would proudly live on as the first buses pulled out of the newly opened Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage in Edmonton, Canada. Fifty-years earlier, it would have been Kathleen driving the buses around the city.

Kathleen was born and raised in Rochdale. Kathleen’s family moved to Canada in 1954 when she was just 14 years old, as people were encouraged to move to Canada. Her father ultimately decided to move for a better life for his family. Kathleen was apparently not pleased when she saw all the snow.

She became the first female Edmonton Transit System (ETS) operator in 1975, after working in the complaints department.

When the City of Edmonton relaxed the height and strength requirements, Kathleen decided to take the plunge and applied to be a driver, the city’s first female bus driver. Her wage would double from $3.50 to $7.00 an hour.

Daughter Lisa said: “She loved her job, but her colleagues did not want women in their organisation. They were not very nice to her. She was a divorcee in 1970, which was unheard of in those days.

“The male drivers did not want to train her and would play mean tricks on her. For example, they would set the hand brake hard so she couldn't get it undone. They would call her names, and even resorted to putting condoms in her mailbox, calling her a nymphomaniac since she was a divorcee. Our home would be vandalized, and we had to get a German Shepherd to protect us.

“The public even refused to ride her bus! One night, a female passenger boarded her bus and looked her up and down. The passenger said to her, ‘If you knew what was best for your children, you would be at home looking after them, instead of taking a job from a man.’ My mum looked at this woman and said, 'I do know what is best for my children, that is why I’m sitting in this seat, busting my butt so I can give them a good home, education and put food on the table. That same woman would bring her hot coffee and sandwiches while she was working the night shift.”

After Kathleen died on 17 November 2013, at the age of 73 and Lisa – who also works for ETS – lobbied the City of Edmonton to name a new garage after Kathleen. It was made official in late 2014. The new garage opened officially on 9 February 2020 at a cost of $210 million.

She said: “I cried tears of pure happiness. It was the best Christmas gift I have ever received in my life. I feel ETS honoured the garage with her name because she was a trail blazer and it is time that women are acknowledged for their accomplishments.

“I think my mum would be very proud and I know she would probably cry too. Not only did the building come to life but her legacy, sacrifices and achievements did too.”