Sean has fit into our business so well that we are interested in taking on another part time, possibly leading to full time, Class 5 & 7 Driving Instructor.
Any licensed Class 5 and Class 7 Driving Instructors who might be interested in working with West Coast Driver Training and Coastal Pathways Driver Training in the Cowichan Valley are invited to contact our Office Manager, Erica Winter, by email at erica@westcoastdrivertraining.com. Please include a resume with your email.
Sean Potorti is a fully licensed Class 5/7 Driving Instructor who started working part time for West Coast Driver Training and Coastal Pathways Driver Training in March 2025 [photo: West Coast Driver Training]
We just received this update from ICBC regarding proposed changes to the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP):
“June 3, 2025
Update on RoadSafetyBC and ICBC Changes to the Graduated Licensing Program
We’d like to share an update on the status of Bill 12 – the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2025, recently introduced by the Government of B.C. in April. This proposed legislation will allow ICBC, in partnership with RoadSafetyBC, to modernize B.C.’s Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) and introduce a new Motorcyclist Licensing Program (MLP).
As the bill did not proceed past second reading during the spring legislative sitting, the second reading of the Bill will be carried over to the fall sitting, commencing October 6, 2025. ICBC does not have control over Government’s scheduling of Bills; however, it is not uncommon for a Bill to be introduced in one sitting and not proceed until the next.
Our intent is to continue with the work planned to ensure that when the Bill passes, we will be positioned to move to implementation. As part of that work, we’ll be developing comprehensive change management and Indigenous and stakeholder engagement plans and will keep you updated as this work progresses.
Starting with our Air Brakes Course in September 2025 our price for the Air Brakes Course will be increasing from $225.00 plus GST to $250.00 plus GST (currently $262.50).
In September 2025 we will also begin charging a $100.00 deposit at the time of registration in our Air Brakes Courses. This is because we have had some people registering for Air Brakes Courses and then not showing up for the course. Since our Air Brakes Courses are typically full, this means we have turned clients away or put them in a later course when they could have had the seat reserved for someone who registered but then did not show up for the course.
We hope that charging a $100.00 deposit at the time of registration in our Air Brakes Courses will prevent this from happening in future.
West Coast Driver Training will be offering an Air Brakes Course in Nanaimo on 9-10 August 2025. This Air Brakes Course will be held at:
9-10 August 2025, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C. Cost is $225.00 + GST = $236.25 / person.
Click here or see below on this page for a map showing the location of the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C.
To sign up or to get more information, call/text West Coast Driver Training at 250-732-8093 or by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or erica@westcoastdrivertraining.com.
On the second day of the course we typically finish by 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
Come to the back door of the building and down the stairs. Bring a pen to take notes. A Course Manual will be provided. Bring a lunch if you wish. There will be a one hour lunch break in case you need to drive somewhere to get lunch. There is plenty of parking available.
5-6 July 2025, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C. Cost is $225.00 + GST = $236.25 / person.
Click here or see below on this page for a map showing the location of the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C.
To sign up or to get more information, call/text West Coast Driver Training at 250-732-8093 or by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or erica@westcoastdrivertraining.com.
On the second day of the course we typically finish by 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
Come to the back door of the building and down the stairs. Bring a pen to take notes. A Course Manual will be provided. Bring a lunch if you wish. There will be a one hour lunch break in case you need to drive somewhere to get lunch. There is plenty of parking available.
West Coast Driver Training and Coastal Pathways Driver Training recently purchased a 2016 VW Jetta with a 5 speed manual transmission which we intend to use for providing clients with training on Manual Transmission vehicles.
It is now available for Manual Transmission training.
As far as we are aware, there are no other Driving Schools on Vancouver Island providing Class 5 and Class 7 training on cars equipped with manual transmissions.
Our 2026 VW Jetta is currently at Mark’s Instant Sign Shop awaiting the application of our corporate decals but it is still available for training if necessary.
Our 2016 VW Jetta for providing training on Manual Transmission at Mark’s Instant Sign Shop awaiting the application of company decals, May 2025 [photo: West Coast Driver Training]We recently had the required gas/brake/clutch controls installed on the passenger side of the VW Jetta. This was done at H & M Auto Repair, which services and maintains all our cars and the Ford E450 bus we use for Class 4 Unrestricted training.
Our 2016 VW Jetta with a 5 speed manual transmission at H & M Auto Repair awaiting its Commercial Vehicle Inspection and installation of the passenger side clutch, brake and gas controls, April 2025 [photo: West Coast Driver Training]If you are interested in Manual Transmission training, please contact our Office Manager, Erica, by phone or text at 250-709-3910 to arrange lesson dates and times.
7-8 June 2025, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C. Cost is $225.00 + GST = $236.25 / person.
Click here or see below on this page for a map showing the location of the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C.
To sign up or to get more information, call/text West Coast Driver Training at 250-732-8093 or by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or erica@westcoastdrivertraining.com.
On the second day of the course we typically finish by 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
Come to the back door of the building and down the stairs. Bring a pen to take notes. A Course Manual will be provided. Bring a lunch if you wish. There will be a one hour lunch break in case you need to drive somewhere to get lunch. There is plenty of parking available.
17-18 May 2025, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C. Cost is $225.00 + GST = $236.25 / person.
Click here or see below on this page for a map showing the location of the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C.
To sign up or to get more information, call/text West Coast Driver Training at 250-732-8093 or by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or erica@westcoastdrivertraining.com.
On the second day of the course we typically finish by 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
Come to the back door of the building and down the stairs. Bring a pen to take notes. A Course Manual will be provided. Bring a lunch if you wish. There will be a one hour lunch break in case you need to drive somewhere to get lunch. There is plenty of parking available.
3-4 May 2025, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C. Cost is $225.00 + GST = $236.25 / person.
Click here or see below on this page for a map showing the location of the Morpeth Masonic Hall, 620 Morpeth Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C.
To sign up or to get more information, call/text West Coast Driver Training at 250-732-8093 or by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or erica@westcoastdrivertraining.com.
On the second day of the course we typically finish by 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
Come to the back door of the building and down the stairs. Bring a pen to take notes. A Course Manual will be provided. Bring a lunch if you wish. There will be a one hour lunch break in case you need to drive somewhere to get lunch. There is plenty of parking available.
West Coast Driver Training recently acquired a 2016 VW Jetta 1.4 liter turbo with a 5 speed manual transmission. We will be using it to offer training to clients wanting to learn to drive manual transmission vehicles.
Our 2016 VW Jetta is currently at H & M Auto Repair in Duncan awaiting its Commercial Vehicle Inspection and installation of the passenger side clutch, brake and gas controls required for Driving School vehicles teaching manual transmission to Class 5 and Class 7 clients.
Our 2016 VW Jetta with a 5 speed manual transmission at H & M Auto Repair awaiting its Commercial Vehicle Inspection and installation of the passenger side clutch, brake and gas controls, April 2025 [photo: West Coast Driver Training]If all goes according to plan, West Coast Driver Training should be able to offer Manual Transmission training on our 2016 VW Jetta within the next few weeks.
Just FYI, here is an eight year old YouTube review of a 2016 VW Jetta 1.4 L turbo with an automatic transmission. We’ll try to find a decent YouTube review of the 2016 VW Jetta manual transmission.
![Sean Potorti is a fully licensed Class 5/7 Driving Instructor who will start working part time for West Coast Driver Training and Coastal Pathways Driver Training in March 2025 [photo: West Coast Driver Training]](https://i0.wp.com/www.westcoastdrivertraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sean-17March2025-6-WestCoastDriverTraining-1662x1326-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![Our 2016 VW Jetta for providing training on Manual Transmission at Mark's Instant Sign Shop awaiting the application of company decals [photo: West Coast Driver Training]](https://i0.wp.com/www.westcoastdrivertraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VW_Jetta-Marks_Instant_Sign-WestCoastDriverTraining-1662x1247-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![Our 2016 VW Jetta with a 5 speed manual transmission at H & M Auto Repair awaiting its Commercial Vehicle Inspection and installation of the passenger side clutch, brake and gas controls, April 2025 [photo: West Coast Driver Training]](https://i0.wp.com/www.westcoastdrivertraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/VW_Jetta-Manual_Transmission-HM_Auto_Repair-WestCoastDriverTraining-2-1662x1151-1.jpg?ssl=1)