Meet The Team
The reason our reviews are so long.
Who are we?
Our drivers are the heart of Alternative Routes — and very often the reason guests leave long, thoughtful reviews instead of a quick star rating.
They’re locals who know these places deeply, but more importantly, they know how to read a room. They understand when to share a story and when to give people space, when to recommend a hidden gem and when to gently steer someone away from something that’s not worth their time. They make people feel comfortable, safe, and genuinely welcome — whether you’re travelling solo, with friends, or figuring things out as you go.
We hire for warmth, curiosity, and emotional intelligence, then support our drivers with fair pay, training, and a work culture that values respect and autonomy. The result is a team that shows up engaged, generous, and proud of what they do. When guests talk about “the best part of the trip,” they’re usually talking about the person behind the wheel — and that’s exactly how we want it
The People Behind the Wheel
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Sam Bambrick
Founder/Occasional Driver
Sometimes writer and most-times entrepreneur, Sam is the founder of Alternative Routes. She spends her off time travelling the globe and her workdays exploring Atlantic Canada with small groups of near-strangers — which, it turns out, is a pretty great way to make a living.She started Alternative Routes in 2016 with one van and a simple idea: visitors wanted to explore beyond the cities, but had no easy way to get there. What began as a practical solution has grown into a community-led travel company connecting travellers with rural Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and beyond.
Sam’s long-term hope is that one day, travelling across the Atlantic provinces will be as easy as buying a single pass. She still plans to write the Great American — ahem — Canadian novel, but is happily occupying herself in the meantime with dark, witty plays and telling elaborate bedtime stories to her two 60-pound bulldogs, Lola and Rigby.
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Ian Black
Driver Guide
Originally from the west coast, Ian went against all better judgment (and traffic patterns) and moved east to Halifax, where he promptly fell in with the wrong crowd and was pressured into trying stand-up comedy.It worked out.
Ian has since been voted Halifax’s Funniest and has become a favourite across the Maritimes, opening for the likes of Bob Saget, Tig Notaro, and Doug Stanhope. On the road, he brings that same sharp wit and easy warmth — the kind that puts people at ease quickly and keeps the ride lively without ever feeling “on.”
He’s also the proud parent of one of the cutest kids on the planet (this is the official Alternative Routes position, though Ian would probably agree). We’re as lucky as our guests are to have him back behind the wheel again this season.
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Laurie Miller
Driver Guide
Despite having reached a stage of life best described as “older than dirt,” Laurie refuses to slow down or surrender to respectability.A former corporate professional who escaped just in time, Laurie now describes himself as a middling musician, an enthusiastic sailor, a teller of tales, and a devoted admirer of fine ales. When he manages to slip the lines from shore, he indulges in the fantasy that he could sail anywhere the wind might carry him — and honestly, we wouldn’t put it past him.
As a driver-guide, Laurie invites guests along on what he calls a minor adventure around a slice of his adopted home in Nova Scotia. Minor in scale, perhaps — but often memorable in all the ways that matter.
