Dave is the friendliest guy. What strikes me first is the wide, welcoming smile, despite what was inevitably a long and tedious drive. That and the cleanliness of the van (I'm a neat freak, and I'm super impressed, which says a lot). This shuttle, following my mad dash across Ottawa airport with literally seconds to spare before lift-off, is an agreeable and tidy peace.
I settle in for 1.5 hours to Morden with a stranger, but I immediately feel at home. We had been coordinating arrangements for much of the afternoon to ensure that he didn't make the trip in vain if I happened to miss the connecting flight that I accidentally booked like the occasional doofus that I am. So we spoke about how lucky I was and about how VERY lucky I was and then about what brought me to Morden.
And then about everything.
Dave Oye arrived in Canada from Nigeria in 2018. He is an engineer by background but a committed business person in his adopted country. He firmly believes in step-by-step progress--"things must happen incrementally"--as evidenced by his approach to his transportation business: "I am not as concerned with immediate profit as I am with attracting clients and providing a much-needed service."
This is someone who is prepared to do the paperwork, as he proudly discusses a business plan submitted to the city for his shuttle service to form part of an official transportation network. And, as we all know, Canada simply thrives on paperwork. Need something? Fill out a form. Offering something? Fill out a form. An online form? Absolutely not--only paper. Then phone calls. Then more paper.
Business (of any sort) is not for the faint of heart.
Dave found a serious gap in the market and started Travlex Shuttle to fill that gap in February 2024. Since then, he has acquired over 100 clients and made countless trips in the Winkler-Morden-Carman-Winnipeg corridor.
His favourite thing about Canada is the fact that incremental steps can be taken in order to achieve a result, which says something about his work ethic. No shortcuts; just pure hard work.
I am immediately reminded of every other immigrant in my immigrant-filled life. I'm reminded of my own parents and their years of struggle at the expense of physical and mental health to ensure their children have a good life, a better life, than the one they would've had in a crumbling Soviet Union. And their children did. And we all did, after everything. I'm reminded of my age-old saying: "Canada is a long-term investment. Don't give up."
Our chat is punctuated by personal touches. When I ask about children, Dave's face lights up. Two girls and a boy. His boy, a natural salesperson. His daughters, serious, studious. So much like me, I tell him. If they, too, end up studying literature, they will have a whole world of opportunity, like I did.
Naturally, we discuss the challenges of immigration, particularly on parents. Naturally, we discuss the incredible literary landscape of Nigeria (Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). Kenyan great Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Literature in general and its importance in the age of celebrity.
The literature of exile.
The brain-drain, the talent slowly and sadly seeping out of Nigeria, just as it is out of any dysfunctional economy.
As we chat, I wonder how it is that Dave has driven so much and maintained such a positive attitude. For example, I am a cranky monster on the road, and, because I rarely stray from a calm, smiley demeanor, the crankiness just gets further and further repressed. I have likely developed a not insignificant internal Frankenstein who threatens to erupt and terrorize the village when some arbitrary travel time is reached. But don't worry, even that will be repressed--it's an internal village. Notably, the Frankenstein is less cranky, sleepy, motion-sick when she herself is the driver.
But I digress...
I then wonder about the mental stamina required to do long-distance driving on The Prairie. Some of you will have heard me say it: I'm an excellent driver in super-busy, aggressive, chaotic Toronto. There is always something happening: cars cut in front of you (not one, but three); a sudden thunderstorm grinds some of you to a halt while others continue as if nothing happened; you have to transfer across four lanes of 120 km/hr traffic in 10 seconds because the sign for your exit has just appeared and it's coming up now, like right now; some sort of Godzilla walks onto the road.. well, it's Toronto. And because you have to be prepared for everything--Godzilla, aliens, everything--you are highly, highly alert. Honestly, folks, Prairie driving puts me to sleep, despite the need to not land in a pothole. I mean, I ask myself from time to time if I'm sure I haven't passed out and driven in a circle, such is the monotony of the drive.
But I digress again...
This is all to say that Dave drove smoothly, comfortably the whole way, and I did not feel sick once.. which is extremely rare when I'm seated in the back. In fact, I used the service again last week and, again, everything was comfortable and pleasant and there was no motion sickness to be found.
I highly recommend it.
You and Dave will find something to talk about. I promise.
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