THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - Bob McArthur has no problem keeping busy.

Bob McArthur stands in front of a school bus he drives – one of his three part-time jobs. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

The Fort Smith man has three part-time jobs – travel agent, beverage container recycling depot operator and school bus driver.

"I love it," he said of having multiple part-time jobs instead of one full-time job.

"I'd rather do this. I'm my own boss," he explained. "I couldn't find myself sitting in an office anymore for eight hours."

McArthur operates Aurora TPI Travel as an associate member of Travel Professionals International, which is based in Winnipeg.

In that role, he arranges business and personal travel for a wide variety of clients.

For example, he recently had a group of six Fort Smith residents travel to Hawaii and he also arranges all-inclusive vacations to Mexico.

Aside from vacations, McArthur also arranges travel for work and conferences.

In fact, he noted about 60 per cent of his customers in Fort Smith are going on business travel.

"It's a government town," he said. "What do you expect?"

McArthur said there are many benefits for people to use the services of a travel agent rather than book a trip themselves, including to southern resorts.

"I get feedback from the customers that have been there before that it's a respectable resort, then you send them there," he said, noting Mexico's Puerto Vallarta, for example, has about 20 resorts from which to choose and he gives customers the option of two or three.

Plus, he noted some people booking travel on their own on a website can make mistakes.

"If they check in and their name doesn't match the ticket, I've read and heard that people were denied boarding or if they've picked a resort they didn't like," he said.

McArthur said he has experience in solving travel problems that might arise for one reason or another.

His busiest time as a travel agent is during the winter when many people want to get away to someplace hot.

The 54-year-old became a travel agent about five years ago.

Beginning when he was in high school, McArthur started working for a number of companies over the years at Fort Smith Airport, concluding with 11 years as a ticket and cargo agent with Canadian North. That airline ceased operations in Fort Smith about five years ago and he took a buyout package.

"I was bored after doing nothing for six months," he said of why he sought other work.

McArthur has also been doing his two other part-time jobs for about five years.

As a school bus driver/manager, he works for First Bus, a Regina-based company that has the contract to operate Fort Smith's school buses.

McArthur is one of two school bus drivers in the community, with another on standby.

"It's not like I'm go, go, go all day," he said, explaining there are only runs in the morning and at the end of the school day.

McArthur operates the beverage container recycling depot under contract with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"It's not full-time. It only takes up two days of my week," he said.

McArthur said he likes the freedom of his three part-time jobs.

Sometimes in the summer when the phones are quiet, he will get in a round of golf at lunchtime, although he added that he always carries his cellphone.

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