Chauffeur marks three decades of memorable lifts
What do Jerry Seinfeld, Bobby Orr and Aline Chretien all have in common?
Aside from all being in the spotlight – whether in Hollywood, the NHL or on Sussex Drive –they have all been chauffeured around town by Pete Schaj of Nite Lite Limousine in Sudbury.
The limousine service marks 30 years in business in September. Those three decades represent thousands of passengers in Sudbury, from business professions to newlyweds and high school graduates, who have spent pivotal moments of their lives in one of Schaj’s limos.
The Stanley Cup has also taken a ride, twice, in a Nite Lite limo – an experience that made the hair stand up on end for the hockey fan and entrepreneur.
“My favourite was Bobby Orr,” Schaj reminisced over some career highlights in the limousine service.
After driving Orr to his hotel room, the hockey legend invited Schaj in for a beer and the two talked hockey for what seemed like a good part of the night. Orr asked for his driver’s address and would later mail him the famous 1970 image of him flying through the air after making that Stanley Cup winning goal for the Boston Bruins. It was signed “To Pete.”
Aside from sharing conversation with celebrities like Orr, Schaj was also invited into the former prime minister Jean Chretien’s home at 24 Sussex Drive after driving his late wife Aline home from Sudbury.
“I didn’t eat or anything and I started shaking, I guess my sugar level was low,” he recalled. “I was starting to sweat a bit and Jean asked if I was OK. I told him I think I got the shakes from not eating. He said, ‘Aline, get him a pamplemousse!’ She got me a grapefruit juice and then asked if I wanted to sit with him. We sat for about half an hour.”
Schaj began his working career in the 1980s in the hospitality industry as a server at the Ambassador Hotel, formerly located at the corner of Falconbridge Road and Kingsway. It was during his time here that he thought Sudbury needed another limousine service. The Ambassador hosted many weddings and posh affairs, but also had its own limousine service. In mid-1994 Schaj purchased a six-passenger 1989 white Lincoln town car, then slowly added more vehicles to his fleet. The two businesses enjoyed some friendly competition, said Schaj, but they also helped each other out.
The kid of a Ukrainian immigrant growing up in Minnow Lake, Schaj loved all things cars. So, starting his own business driving people around in pristine vehicles was a dream come true. For the most part, Schaj said he meets passengers experiencing a joyous occasion, so conversation is always positive.
“People are always happy, the kids’ eyes light up,” he said. “You have some famous people, too, which is cool.”
Who was the first famous person he drove around?
“I borrowed Belanger’s limousines and that night we were supposed to have Wayne Newton,” he said. “It was thundering and lightning and my cousin was going to do it, but they cancelled it. So, the next day I picked up Wayne Newton from the airport.”
Schaj recounted that sometimes Nite Lite drivers acted as bodyguards.
“I had Kiss in the Suburban and my driver Rob and I were kind of like bodyguards for Shannon Tweed,” he said. “Kiss, they’re just normal guys. Gene Simmons looks at Rob and then me and asks if we are brothers.”
No matter who is in his vehicle – a prime minister, Hollywood celebrity or a child suffering a terminal illness fulfilling a wish – Schaj says he treats them all the same.
“You want to make sure everyone is treated like a million dollars,” he said. “That’s our motto, we treat you like a million dollars even if you are.”
Schaj said it’s also important for his to get involved in the community. He’s supported Camp Quality, the Sunshine Foundation and Make-A-Wish Canada, among other organizations focused on children.
Today, Nite Lite Limousine includes a team of drivers and a fleet of six limousines in all shapes and sizes, from Cadillac Sedans to Suburbans, a 14-passenger party bus to a 20-passenger luxury coach. The recent addition of a Corvette, his dream car, has allowed him to expand the business model to offer exotic car tours to nearby destinations, including Manitoulin Island.
For more information, visit www.nitelitelimo.com.
The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.
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Laura Stradiotto, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Sudbury Star
