Step up into Turi Duhamel’s school bus conversion project and you will see elements of home shining through a build still in progress. Duhamel clicked through the colours of the LED strip light that lines the roof of the bus, settling on a warmer yellow that pairs with the wood elements found throughout. He flipped up a corner of the blanket draped over the kitchen counter, showing off the live edge slab of cedar that spans a third of the living space.
Before settling in on the couch, Duhamel pulled closed the centerfold wooden door that separates the front of the bus from the rest of the living area. The hand built piece showcases his growing carpentry and building skills, snugly sliding into place with just a small strip at the top open to the rooftop emergency exit.
“It gets really warm, really cozy in here when that’s closed,” he said.
The wood element follows up the walls of the bus, which he named the Turtle’s Shell based off a camp nickname, lined with tongue and groove wooden planks that lead to a birch sheet capping the ceiling.
“I really like the log cabin look. Eventually I want to build my own log cabin,” Duhamel said, adding that wood resources have been readily available in Revelstoke.
From the tongue and groove planks, donated by NRT Construction to the pallets he cleaned up to use in the build, Duhamel said the wood elements will keep a bit of Revelstoke close no matter where he travels.
Revelstoke has woven its way into the bus with more than just the wood.
The bus conversion is Duhamel’s Revelstoke Secondary School Grade 12 project, and part of it includes reaching out to the community for tips and material donations. He bought the bus in early October 2025 from School District 19’s old fleet that was up for sale.
Soon after, he started documenting the build for the community to follow along and help with material donations. The support has been steady since day one.
“There’s always people willing to jump up and help and donate,” Duhamel said, listing City Furniture and Appliances, Revelstoke’s bus and van conversion community and even donations from outside of Revelstoke as highlights of support.
A core helpline has been the Career Life Connections program at the high school and the range of trades-based resources the school provides.
“I don’t think that I would have been able to build this project if I hadn’t gone into those programs,” Duhamel said, adding that the carpentry and mechanics classes have been particularly helpful in his project.
The bonus of a home on wheels
Duhamel sees bus and skoolie conversions as a solution for current housing struggles throughout the province and his desire to explore a little more before finding a place to call home. With the back quarter of the bus dedicated to a workshop, he’ll be able to keep working on the various trades he’s picked up over the years and since the start of the capstone project.
“Between woodwork, leather, paracord and metalwork, I love just creating things with a variety of media,” he said, explaining that the shop part in the back of the bus will act partially as tool storage but also as metal forge. Sheet metal will help separate the shop from the living area and protect both sections.
As the latest March rainstorm rolled through, a sliver of water dripped through the roof emergency exit, the only real sign of Revelstoke’s winter elements getting into the bus. Duhamel quickly adjusted the emergency door, resettling it and stopping the water. While the regional winter has been marked with wet snow and heavy rains, it’s been the perfect winter for the student to find what needs to be sealed to handle Revelstoke’s weather.
“The first thing I did was put caulking around everywhere, seal off those little bits,” he said, reflecting on the early days of the project.
“Once I spray it and sand it down for painting, I’ll have to seal all the windows again. But it’s been pretty good.”
With all the passenger seats pulled out, save a small bench at the front Duhamel has kept for his dog to use and a friend or two for future adventures, and with no air brakes, he’ll be able to drive the bus with a Class 5 license.
The Turtle’s Shell will take its maiden voyage shortly after Duhamel and his classmates walk the traditional grad march through Revelstoke. He has summer work lined up at a camp that frequently struggles with staff housing, and is looking forward to not stressing about where to live. He also expects to spend the summer seeing what other improvements are needed.
“It’ll definitely be a good test run up there. After that, I’m thinking about taking it to [Vancouver] Island. That’s another bit of a journey,” he said.
Until then, Duhamel is still open to community donations and tips. He often posts progress updates through the local Facebook page and has started an Instagram account as well to document his work. A GoFundMe has also been set up.
“I want to say thank you to the community, for being a huge support,” Duhamel said.
As for future capstone students who might be inspired by his project?
“Learn as much as possible. Go into all of our shop programs,” he encouraged.
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