2020-06-01 our canada

TILL NEXT TIME “I took this photo of my daughter, Siena, while on

a camping trip in Fairmont, B.C., with my four kids,”

shares Jennifer Ball of Springbrook, Alta. “We did

a really bad job of setting up the tent but still had a

great trip!” YOUR TURN: Do you have a parting shot

to share? Submit online at ourcanada.ca or turn

to page 64 for our address.

READER’S DIGEST

PM 4

00

7067

7 R

110

26

JUNE/JULY 2020

ourcanada.ca

The Best of Our Annual Share Your Canada Photo Contest

Classic Country to Sooth the Soul

A Salute to the Okanagan Military Tattoo

READER’S DIGEST

MORE THAN ONE MILLION READERS!

Beauty in IsolationStories of Hope and Inspiration During the Rise of COVID-19

OUR COUNTRY, OUR STORIES

This Kodak Duraflex with top-mounted viewfinder is one of the cameras in Anne Lane’s collection; turn to page 54 for more.

JUNE / JULY 2020

26

52

4 Letters / Theme Pic

Contributor Spotlight

6 Editor’s Letter

7 Veteran Profile

14 Bulletin Board

26 Cause for Applause

32 A Taste of Canada

38 It’s Tradition

50 Writer’s Block

52 Birds and Blooms

54 Collectors

56 Wheels

58 Crafty Canadians

60 The Way It Was

62 Funny Stuff

63 Critters

64 Spot the Loonie

65 Pet Corner

66 Storytime

68 Till Next Time

ABOUT THE COVERDean McLeod of Saskatoon

snapped this stunning pic;

turn to page 49 to learn more

about it. To see more of

Dean’s amazing work, head to

deanmcleodphotography.com.

DEPARTMENTS

IN THIS ISSUE

8 POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE

Tom Skinner of Vernon, B.C. gives us aninside look at the impressive talent on displayat the annual Okanagan Military Tattoo.

16 STAY SAFE: COVID-19

Stories of hope and inspiration in thesechallenging times.

22 OUR TRAVELS:

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

A self-proclaimed “urban explorer” visitsan abandoned ghost town hidden high in themountains of British Columbia.

28 KANATA: STAN 1965

Enjoy an excerpt from the novel “Blood Cove”by R.J. Belcourt and Iggy Faye, in which sacred Haida beliefs and traditions spring to life.

40 LONG-DISTANCE CONNECTION

This emotional reunion of cousins was 76 yearsin the making!

44 SHARE YOUR CANADA PHOTO

CONTEST Check out this year’s top three winners along with a selection of worthy

runners-up!

32

LETTERS

Cover GirlThanks for publishing such a unique cover (December-Jan-uary 2020) by Deana McNeish. I believe we need more holistic images that combine the inter-actions of people and nature. I would even encourage Deana to create a calendar—Canadian, of course—using a variety of differ-ent people of all ages.

E. Wetheral, Camrose, Alta.

Laugh Out LoudOh my gosh, talk about laugh-ing out loud! I was reading the Writer’s Block story “Different Versions” by Ardith Trudzik (January 2020) in bed while my hubby was already softly snor-ing. When I laughed out loud, his snoring came to an abrupt halt. “What’s wrong?” he mumbled. “Nothing. Go to sleep,” I said. Seconds later I laughed even louder. His snoring snorted to a stop again. “What?” he growled. “This story—it’s hilarious! She’s a great writer.” He grabbed all the covers and rolled away with them. He didn’t even have the courtesy to ask what the story was about. Men! Thank you Ardith Trudzik for the late night laugh. I loved your story.

Barbara Wackerle Baker,Calgary

Lasting LegacyI just wanted to thank you for publishing my story, “Childhood Winters of Yore,” in The Way It Was section of the February-

March 2020 issue. My sister passed away one year ago and she would have been so excited to see the story in print, as she was my biggest fan. I really enjoy reading about the lives of real people in your magazine.

Patricia Madigan, Parry Sound, Ont.

The Right Thing To DoReading the Critters story by Sienna Frost (March 2020) reminded me of my own duck encounter and rescue. In the late 1990s, my husband and I had a hobby farm on Salt Spring Island, B.C. We had sheep, a rooster, several laying hens and three pygmy goats. One of our

CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT

MARK BELL

A native of Port McNicoll, Ont., Mark has worked as a principal in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for the past six years. He returned to Canada on medical leave during the onset of the pandemic, an experience he shares in our COVID-19

feature (page 16). Prior to being abroad, Mark taught music at Toronto elementary schools, and conducted several award-winning student choirs. He later played key roles in the music programs of the Toronto District School Board; was founding conductor of the Riverdale Youth Singers and founding principal of the Downtown Vocal Music Academy, both of Toronto. He holds Master’s degrees in education and theology, and post-graduate diplomas in music education.

TOM SKINNER

About 20 years ago, Tom retired from school district #22 in Vernon, B.C., and began teaching courses to beginner photographers. He’s also recently returned to writing and picture framing, and has reopened

Tom Skinner Photography. Tom and his wife Myna have become snowbirds, travelling to California, where Tom pipes with the Palm Springs Air Museum Pipe Band. At home in Vernon, he plays with the Kalamalka Highlanders Pipe Band, and has participated in local tattoos. In Pomp and Circumstance (page 8), Tom takes us inside the Okanagan Military Tattoo, which showcases a variety of military bands, choirs and skills.

PH

OT

O: D

ON

WE

IXL

This stunning December-January 2020 cover photo was snapped by Deana McNeish of Airdrie, Alta.

Harriet bonding with Ducky.

4 Our Canada JUNE / JULY 2020

THEME PIC

FACEBOOK CHALLENGE / LOVE

Alexandra Fontaine of Mission, B.C., submitted this adorable

pic to our “Love” Theme Pics Challenge, writing, “Uncondi-

tional love is what Ellie our ‘grandpuppy’ gives us each and

every time we see her. In this photo, she’s giving Grandpa

a great big kiss!” To see more great Theme Pic photos and

learn what the next “theme” is, head to our Facebook page!

HAVE YOUR SAY. Is there a story or feature you’d like to

comment on? Anything you’d like to see more or less of

in each issue? Your opinion is important to us, so drop us

a line at ourcanada.ca or see page 64 for our address.

RHONDA HARDING

Born in Edmonton, Rhonda and her husband, Mark, who are both teachers, currently live in Taber, Alta. Rhonda has begun taking locally offered Blackfoot language classes; learning more about the history and

culture of Treaty 7 territory is a passion and she relishes the opportunity to share that knowledge with her stu-dents. Rhonda, Mark and their two sons share a love for taekwondo; taking part in local theatrical productions; and travelling to places of historical significance within the province and across the country. Rhonda’s Critters story on page 63 is the result of a trip she and Mark recently took to the Yukon.

ANN LANE

Ann Lane lives in Cobourg, Ont., with her husband, Jeremy, and two teenaged kids, Olivia and Evan. She provides home daycare for some very special little people and, in her spare time, enjoys horseback riding, kayaking

and photography. Her whole family enjoys travelling and, after having visited 16 countries so far, they hope to explore even more together soon. Their favourite trips are those they’ve taken across Canada, and they confess to having a real soft spot for P.E.I. Recently, Ann’s enjoyed seeing some of her photos published and included in local exhibitions, and she’s pleased to share the story of her grandfather’s vintage cameras in Collectors on page 54.

hens, named Harriet, became broody and sat on a clutch of eggs for about three weeks until she hatched several chicks. A day or two after they hatched, I was in the henhouse when I heard a noise nearby in the garden. I found a tiny duckling that looked to be a day or two old. I named him “Ducky” and walked into the henhouse where I hoped Harriet would accept him. Fortunately, she did! Harriet kept the chicks and Ducky warm overnight, and watching her interacting with them was one of the cutest things we’ve ever seen. We’d have loved for them to all grow up together but soon realized that Ducky didn’t understand Harriet’s “lan-guage.” She’d never be able to pass on her knowledge or warn of over-head threats. Fearing for Ducky’s safety, we reluctantly delivered him to a wildlife centre where staff told us he would be able to join a family of ducks temporarily being housed there. We knew it was the right thing to do.

Cathy Sands Unruh, Parksville, B.C.

5

STAY SAFE, BE WELLAlthough it wasn’t even part of my lexicon when we first began to work on this issue back in February, “Stay safe, be well” has since become my go-to farewell in emails, on phone calls and during video chats. Like the rest of our country (and the world at large), we here at Our Canada had our lives turned upside down when COVID-19 reared its ugly head in early March and struck with a vengeance, causing life as we once knew it to come to a full halt.

Since then, we have all been learning to adapt to the new reality facing us, and as of this writing (April 22, Earth Day), the isolation protocols and shuttering of schools, places of worship, entertain-ment venues, and “non-essential” industries and businesses, are having a positive impact on slowing the spread of the virus and lessening the death toll. Although such measures are having a devastating effect on people’s morale, livelihood and the econ-omy at large, there is some light at the end of the very long tunnel we are currently slogging our way through in the hopes of better days ahead.

With that in mind, I invite you to relax and enjoy this issue for an hour or two. As you can see from our cover, there’s a lot to hold your interest inside! For starters, there’s a great selection of stories from previous contributors who, on a moment’s notice, agreed to share their COVID-19 experiences with their fellow Canadians (page 16), as well as a tre-mendous spread showcasing the winners of our

2019-2020 photo contest—a big “thank you” goes out to all participants and

to our partner, WestJet (page 44).Plus, fear not, you’ll find many more of the types of stories you’ve come to know and expect from Our Canada. And if you need

something to occupy the kids or grandkids for awhile, just ask

them to “Spot the Loonie!” Stay safe, be well.

PUBLISHED BIMONTHLY BY THE READER’S DIGEST

MAGAZINES CANADA LIMITED, MONTREAL, QC.

Chairman of the Board Christopher Dornan President and Publisher Brian Kennedy

Editor-in-Chief Gary George

Executive Editor Maryanne Gallagher

Executive Editor, Digital Brett Walther

Contributing Editor Frank Pavan

Art Director Robert Bigras

Graphic Designers Michel Pelletier, Pierre Loranger

Assistant Web Editor Robert Liwanag

Content Operations Manager Lisa Pigeon

Circulation Director Edward Birkett

THE READER’S DIGEST ASSOCIATION (CANADA) ULC

Legal Barbara Robins

Financial Director Corinne Hazan Product Manager, Magazine Marketing Mirella Liberatore

National Sales Director James Anderson

National Account Executives Suzanne Farago (Montreal);

Melissa Silverberg (Toronto); Robert Shaw (Vancouver)

Marketing and Research Director Kelly Hobson

Head of Marketing Solutions and New Product Development Melissa Williams

Production Manager Lisa Snow

Toronto Office: 121 Bloor St. E., Suite. 430, Toronto, ON M4W 1E6

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS

President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Kintzer

Editor-in-Chief, International Magazines Raimo Moysa

VOL. 17, NO. 3 Copyright © 2020 by Reader’s Digest Magazines Canada Limited. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part in English or other languages prohibited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Publications Mail Agreement Number 40070677. Postage paid at Montreal. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 5101 Rue Buchan, Suite 301, Montreal, QC H4P 1S4.

SUBSCRIPTIONS $24.97 a year, plus $7.99 postage and handling. Please add applicable taxes. Outside Canada: $45.96 yearly, including postage and handling. (Prices and postage subject to change without notice.) ISSN 2291-014X.

SINGLE COPY PRICE $4.99. Our Canada publishes 6 issues per year and may occasionally publish special issues (special issues count as two), subject to change without notice.

HOW TO REACH US

EDITORIAL OFFICE 5101 Rue Buchan, Suite 300,

Montreal, QC, H4P 1S4

ourcanada.ca

FOR SERVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Our Canada Customer Care

Centre, P.O. Box 970, Stn. Main, Markham, ON, L3P 0K2

[email protected]

ONLINE To pay a bill, view your account, change your address,

or browse our FAQs, go to www.ourcanada.ca/contact us.

MAIL PREFERENCE Our Canada maintains a record of your purchase and sweepstakes participation history for Customer Service and Marketing departments, which enables us to offer the best service possible along with quality products we believe will interest you. Occasionally, to allow our customers to be aware of other products and services that may be of interest to them, we provide this information to other companies. Should you wish, for any reason, not to receive such offers from other companies, please write to: Privacy Office, Reader’s Digest, 5101 Rue Buchan, Suite 300, Montreal, QC H4P 1S4. You may also write to this address if you no longer wish to receive offers from Reader’s Digest or should you have any questions regarding your record or wish to examine or correct it.

We acknowledge with gratitude the financial support of the Government of Canada. / Nous remercions le Gouvernement du Canada pour son appui financier.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Gary George

[email protected]

PH

OT

O: R

YA

N G

EO

RG

E


Manuel SharkoRCAF, GUNNER

Manuel was born in 1925 and joined the RCAF in 1943, as an airframe mechanic. He trained as a gunner on Fairey Battle and Wellington aircraft, and was posted to an aircrew on a Handley Page Halifax bomber, serving as a mid- upper gunner. The crew flew bombing missions over Germany and Nazi-occupied cities, where they met constant resistance from enemy fighters and flak. Manuel also took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.

“Every trip we went on, they’d be shooting at us. When you looked up ahead, there’d be so many puffs of smoke, you’d think, ‘How am I going to get through that?’ ”

Share your veteran profiles

at ourcanada.ca.

To view video interviews with Canadian war vets,

visit https://vetvoicecan.org.

VETERAN PROFILE

Manuel was discharged in 1945, having completed his full tour, flying 36 missions in all. He passed away as a retired farmer living in Calmar, Alta., on November 25, 2017.

Tom Skinner of Vernon, B.C., takes us

inside the Okanagan Military Tattoo, an

exhilarating showcase of military

bands, choirs and skills

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE


The 2019 cast of the Okanagan Military Tattoo.PHOTO: DON WEIXL

This year marks the seventh annual Okanagan Military Tattoo. It will be held in Vernon, B.C., at Kal Tire Place, with two perfor-mances scheduled, one on

Saturday, July 25, at 7 p.m., the other on Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m.

If you’ve ever been to the Royal Edin-burgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, you’ve probably come away with a good under-standing of what a tattoo is like. In Canada, if you live on the East Coast, you may have been fortunate enough to have attended the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax. For those who have never experi-enced one, here is a brief history.

The history of the word tattoo can be traced back to the 17th century. It’s a Dutch phrase doe den tap toe, which means turn off the tap. A signal from a drummer or trumpeter marching through town would instruct innkeepers near military garrisons to stop serving beer, and remind soldiers it was time to return to their barracks. It be-came a ceremonial tradition.

The Edinburgh Tattoo has been held

since 1945 and has also travelled to Australia and New Zealand. The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo began in 1979. It can trace its roots to the 1967 Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo, which toured Canada as part of the centennial celebrations. The Okana-gan Military Tattoo (OMT) is young as far as tattoos go, with the first indoor event be-ing held in 2014.

The OMT has developed a flavour all its own. It includes marching, singing, dancing and bands with a military history, including bagpipes and brass bands. Every year, Jim Wright, the lone piper, has played Amaz-ing Grace at the conclusion of the two-hour show. The finale is a culmination that starts with a single piper followed by a massed pipe band, and usually finishes with a com-plete brass band. In 2016, it included Kore-an instrumentalists and drum corps. Every year, it has also featured a large contingent of highland dancers under the direction of highland dance instructor and choreog-rapher, Shalni Prowse. The results have always been superbly performed numbers that have kept crowds returning.

Each year, the tattoo is a little different.

Clockwise from top left: The 2019 open-ing ceremonies featuring pipers with First Nations drummers and singers; the commemorative presentation of the Union Jack to Calgary Roundup from the Brentwood Imperial Youth Band; the Jiffy Jeep team. PHOTOS: WAYNE EMDE

PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP

LEFT & BOTTOM LEFT)

AND DON WEIXL

(ABOVE)

11

Last year’s bands included the B.C. Reg-iment (Duke of Connaught’s Own), The Brentwood Imperial Youth Band (BIYB) and the Calgary Roundup Band. The Cal-gary Roundup returned to the tattoo after an initial performance in 2017.

Traditions continue to develop as the tat-too comes of age, and the OMT Pipe Band, under the direction of Pipe Major Scot Kor-tegaard of Kamloops, B.C., is no exception. Scot’s message to the band is clear. “At the OMT, we are one—one large band, all pull-ing in the same direction. It unifies us with the goal of giving the audience an amazing show.” Mission accomplished.

New last year was the A.L. Fortune Secondary Drumline from Enderby, B.C., winners of the B.C. High School Drumline competition. In a friendly drumline compe-tition with the Brentwood Imperial Youth

Band, and a drumline from Calgary Round-up (winner of the World’s Junior Marching Band title for 2019), each drumline took their place on the floor and demonstrated their percussion and marching skills with flourish and swagger. It was essentially a challenge to the other drumlines; the win-ner of this spectacle was the audience, who gave an overwhelming endorsement to the skill of all of these young musicians.

During a typical tattoo it’s difficult to pick “best or favourite.” Each member of the au-dience, however, has an appreciation for the music and culture on display, and over the years there has been a terrific variety. The tattoo has hosted performances by military brass bands, pipe bands, Ukrainian dancers, rhythmic gymnasts, as well as displays by military drill teams, fire hose reel races and jeep races, where teams dismantle and re-

Right: The Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific performing in 2017. Below: The Republic of Korea Minis-try of National Defence tradi-tional band in 2016.PHOTOS AT RIGHT AND

BELOW: WAYNE EMDE

PHOTOGRAPHY


assemble a jeep in a timed event.The Okanagan Military Tattoo is a par-

ticularly good fit for this city, as Vernon was a training centre for the Canadian Army during World War II, and subsequently the DND grounds have hosted the army cadet camp for more than 70 years now. The ca-dets from all three branches of the services have been an integral part of the tattoo in terms of marching, drill performances and as musicians. In contrast to the youth of the cadets, the tattoo has continued each year to provide an opportunity to pay tribute to our veterans. The OMT was pleased to con-tinue this practice with the 2019 tribute to veterans initiated in Ottawa, which began with a train journey of a pair of combat boots from Vancouver to Halifax; a sym-bolic tribute to more than 90,000 veterans who saw action on D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy.

With a cast of more than 500 performers, there are numerous logistical issues to deal with, including scheduling participants, housing, feeding performers and arranging accommodation and parking for spectators. The tattoo has been fortunate to benefit

from the leadership of Norm Crerar and Derek Hall, and various committee mem-bers, who have been the backbone of this event. Each year a call is put out to commu-nity members to help with volunteering and each year the call is answered.

This year’s Okanagan Military Tattoo plans to continue to build on the success and hard work of the past six years—please consider this your invitation to attend! ■

Visit okanagantattoo.ca for potential

schedule changes due to COVID-19 crisis.

The Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific Comprised of a group of men and women who are

in the Royal Canadian Navy, the Naden Band,

which is based in Esquimalt, B.C., can trace its

roots back to 1940. The band is well known in

western Canada and frequently perform at events

such as the Grey Cup and Calgary Stampede.

In addition to performing in local parades and

military events, it frequently tours worldwide. In

2019, the band participated in the parade cele-

brating the 75th Anniversary of the Dieppe Raid in

France. The band will be returning to the Okana-

gan Military Tattoo this July.

13

SITTING PRETTYAfter receiving my March issueof More of Our Canada, and see-ing the Collectors article “Tea-cup Treasures,” I was inspired tosend in these photos.

After the passing of my moth-er in June of 2019, and movingmy dad to another home and city, my siblings and I had the job of cleaning out the house our parents had lived in for 50 years.

It was difficult, as these days none of us wanted to add more stuff to our own collections. My mom loved everything in her home and it seemed that she kept it all!

Among some of her items were china teacups and saucers, which few people seem to use or collect anymore. I decided to choose a few and asked my sib-lings to each pick one out before we disposed of the rest.

When I got home, I decided that I wanted to make everyone a little keepsake with them. I had seen a photo on Facebook that inspired me and so it began. I had my husband and son help me cut out a pattern, then glue and nail together the bird feeders and painted them to match each cup.

At Christmas, when my sib-lings came to visit Dad, I gave each of them and my two chil-dren a bird feeder with Mom’s

cups and saucers placed on them. They are a lovely remind-er of our mom (and the kids’ grandma) that will be proudly displayed always.

Penny Brown, Prince George, B.C.

BULLETIN BOARD

HAPPY CANADA DAY Karen Hirst of Almonte, Ont.,writes, “From coast to coast to coast, on any shoreline across the broad expanse of this country, the Canadian flag can be seen flying proudly from flag poles, trees, cottage decks and boats.”

Each of Penny’s “bird feeders” is painted to match its teacup.

MYSTERY SOLVEDWe received a lot of responses to the What is it? item in the February-March issue, sent in by Chris Spring of Osgoode, Ont. According to dozens of readers, including, John Simundson of Kenora, Ont., Wm Serhan of Porcupine Plain, Sask., and Omar Kiekeeng of Hudson’s Hope, B.C., the item is called a saw set and is used to adjust the set or distance that the saw tooth is bent away from the saw blade. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write!


CAPTION CORNER

“T’is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

Thanks to Harold Feiertag of Kingston, Ont., for sharing

this adorable photo! Can you come up with a better cap-

tion for it than we did? Join the fun on our Facebook page

and share your witty one-liners there. And remember to

send your Caption Corner pics to us at ourcanada.ca!

CANADA’S CLAIMS TO FAME

OUR GREAT COUNTRY IS HOME TO LOTS OF

INTERESTING PEOPLE AND PLACES, SOME FAMOUS,

OTHERS WELL-KEPT SECRETS.

WINNIPEG FOLK FESTMany Canadians would agree that the capital of Manitoba is an often over-looked gem that sparkles with a lively arts scene. Case in point, the annual Winnipeg Folk Fest. Even if camping is not normally your jam, this four-day

celebration of music, camping and fun with friends and family may just make an outdoorsman (or outdoorswoman) out of you! For four days in July, you can pitch a tent at Bird’s Hill Park Provincial Park, a short 45-minute drive outside Winnipeg, and savour the friendly atmosphere and sweet sounds of folk, blues, bluegrass and world music.

As of April 1st the festival was scheduled to run from

July 9 to the 12th—check their website for ongoing updates:

www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca/covid-19-update

HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT

In surgery for a heart attack, a middle-aged woman has a vision of God by her bedside. “Will I die?” she asks. God says, “No. You have 30 more years to live.”

With 30 years to look forward to, she decides to make the best of it. Since she’s in the hospital, she gets breast implants, liposuction, a tummy tuck, hair transplants, and collagen injections in her lips. She looks great!

The day she’s discharged, she exits the hospital with a swagger, crosses the street, and is immediately hit by an ambulance and killed.

Up in heaven, she sees God. “You said I had 30 more years to live,” she complains.

“That’s true,” says God.

“So what happened?” she asks.

God shrugs. “I didn’t recognize you.”

THE THREE BEARSOne night, after everyone had gone to bed, we were awakened by a commotion outside. Teddy, our big, outdoor dog gave a low “woof.” The security lights came on and, oh, were we glad that Teddy was in his dog run! Through the kitchen window, we spotted a large, black mama bear and her two cubs. They were busy pulling down and open-ing all the bird feeders—we could hear the noisy licking, munching and smacking sounds the hun-gry bears made. After mama and babies had eaten everything, they lumbered slowly off into the dark-ness. We didn’t see them again but had a hard time going back to sleep after all that excitement!

Ruth Lemke, Kanata, Ont.

LO

GO

BY

BR

IAN

ST

EE

LY

15

LIFE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

As of this writing (April 3), there are more

than 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in

Canada and the numbers are expected to rise.

The following pages are devoted to sharing

contributor stories of hope and inspiration

in these trying times, as well as offering some

tips from health experts on how to protect

yourself and your loved ones from this virus.

WORDS OF WISDOM

My wife Myrna and

I are 70. Our family

are doing their part

in caring for us by

following all the

rules of social and

physical distanc-

ing. We as parents

have children and

grandchildren

working with the

public in both

Nova Scotia and

New Brunswick

on the frontlines in the

nursing, restaurant, grocery and

teaching professions. We are

fortunate to be in our own home

and following all the necessary

guidelines set forth for our

well-being and are very proud

seeing how our village has come

together to help control the

situation. It’s time for faith, which

can be a driving force in these

uncertain times. God has not

abandoned us. We see Him at

work all around us: spring beauty

with the blossoming of flowers,

the greening of the grass, neigh-

bours helping neighbours and

strangers helping strangers. As

the Earth heals from the cold

of winter, we too require healing

by leaning on each other. Our

fathers and grandfathers fought

in wars and it’s little to ask for

fellow Canadians to respect and

follow all guidelines put forth

by our government and health

leaders. We pray that on the

other side of this pandemic,

humanity must be better.

Peter Trenholm, Pugwash, N.S.

STAY SAFE / COVID-19


It’s Saturday, March 29, 2020 and my wife,Suzanne, and I are starting our seventh day in quarantine in our apartment. It’s 6:30 a.m. and I’m up early as usual these

days. We are trying to follow the quarantine protocol set up by the government.

I’m having my first coffee as I write this. I usually try to meditate for 20 minutes but not today as I want to get some thoughts down on our pandemic experience.

After being told to return home by our insurance company, we arrived from vaca-tioning in warm Mexico last Saturday night, three weeks earlier than planned. We wore our masks at the Cancun airport and on the flight home to Halifax. We decided to follow the isolating guidelines and head straight home, not stopping anywhere. We are very grateful to one of our sons, who had bought groceries and left them at our door.

I am a musician/songwriter and Suzanne is a visual artist. All of my gigs have been cancelled, perhaps for the next six months, and any shows that Suzanne was to be part of have also been cancelled. It took the first part of the week for us to accept this blunt reality. Suzanne has decided to begin work

on quite an ambitious art project, so I plan to take photos of it every day as she progresses. I will show her the photos when her work is completed.

A NEW REALITYI just glanced out our studio window to seethe great view of the Halifax Public Gar-dens in the early sunrise. The city looks abit lonely with not one person or vehicle in sight. It’s very still out there in the dim light.

With my performances cancelled, I need to find a musical idea that might grow into more than just an idea. During a chat ear-lier this week, Suzanne suggested that this was the time to pursue a project I’ve been tossing around for a few years now, one I was a bit afraid of trying—offering organic song-writing sessions online. They will be a version of the Organic Songwriting Method that I conceived five or six years ago, where I’d write song with the fans at my house-con-certs. This concept has led to compos-ing 20 songs with close to 400 fans and collaborators. The songs fill my two latest CDs, “House Plants” and “Before You Go.” Now my time in quarantine is being

Sharing ways to stay strong and carry on while

living in quarantine by Jim Henman, Halifax

Right: Suzanne and Jim wore protective masks as they travelled home.

MUSIC, ART & FAITH

17

spent on promoting the idea to online fans.I acquired two “students” in the first few days and we use Messenger on Facebook for our sessions—it’s working well. To hear the song composed using Organic Songwriting, please go to https://vimeo.com/402512109.

While I pursue this venture, Suzanne is also working with two granddaughters on an art history project. They are both at

home with their parents, who have set up home offices. Suzanne is using Facetime to work with them, and is designing a program for research, painting, writing and social engagement. I believe Picasso is the first artist to be researched.

SUNDAY, SUNDAYWe are not leaving the house of course, somy daughter Lindsay, whom I have not seen in person for four months, brought us some groceries. I was excited to see her as she ar-rived fully loaded with bags at our door. Sheput the groceries outside our apartment door and stood about 12 feet back. All we could do was say. “ Hi, I love you, thanks for getting the groceries, how’s my grandson, please look after yourself.” Then she was gone. I guess this experience might be com-mon for a lot of people today.

We learned early on not to overload our-selves with negative news, so Suzanne and

Above: Suzanne’s latest work of art in progress.

Iwork at the Canadian InternationalSchool (CIS) in Vietnam as Vice Princi-pal of the elementary panel. Our schoolhas been closed since January 27, when

we ended a two-week holiday for the Lu-nar New Year (Tet in Vietnam). By then, COVID-19 had taken a hold on Wuhan, China and the Vietnamese government de-cided to close all schools in the country for a period of 14-days. As of today (April 1), Vietnam is under a new 15-day quarantine order; the borders are closed and so are the airports, for inbound flights.

On Saturday March 14, I boarded a plane (fully masked and gloved) destined for To-ronto to seek medical attention for herni-ated discs in my cervical and lumbar spine. In Vietnam, neurosurgeons had deemed I needed very invasive surgeries to correct the spinal issues I was having. After hear-ing the diagnosis, I decided to return to Canada for a second opinion and to seek medical attention from my own doctor.

While in the air, the rules in Canada changed! Not only was I not going to be able to see my own doctor, there was no

Learning to appreciate what’s truly

important in life by Mark Bell, Toronto

LESSONS IN GRATITUDE


I only watch the news in the evening—that’s enough. We have become very grateful for what we have: each other, our children, our health, our church friends, the Internet and most importantly, that piece of chocolate I had hidden in the fridge months ago!

Watching Netflix has become an evening routine. Facebook, emails and talking on the phone and texting with family and friends has become a larger part of our life now, too. It helps make the day go by quite quickly for me as I’m a talker—maybe that’s my Acadian side coming out.

Since our spirituality is an important part of our lives, we had concerns about how we would maintain the social side of that as well. Public masses and groups are can-celled but here again, apps such as Zoom and Livestream fill our needs. We’ve already connected with friends from our parish.

Financially, things are different with part of my income gone and I am very grateful

that the Federal government is stepping up to help the self-employed.

Lately I’ve also been thinking of the peo-ple living in Moose Factory, northern On-tario, where I spent close to a year living with the Cree. This morning I called a friend who now lives in Kapuskasing and works in health care. No virus yet. That’s good news.

Suzanne and I just watched mass on Livestream. I made eggs and bacon with fried potatoes, a once-a-week treat, then stood on the balcony in the warm noon sun with a coffee, worked on a song for a video, and spent a little time on an exercise-step-per. Now it’s time to plan meals for the next few days as it’s my week to cook—I’m getting better at it. I hope everyone looks after each other. Maybe that’s a good motto to live by from now on.

Visit jimhenman.com for more about Jim

and his musical pursuits.

19

way any neurology specialist was going to see me either, and the MRI and X-rays I carried with me from Vietnam would re-main in my suitcase unseen.

Canada was now beginning to shut down as well, almost eight weeks behind where we were in Vietnam.

When I landed in Vancouver, I was not asked any questions even though I had just arrived on a flight from southeast Asia—from Vietnam through Taipei (Taiwan) to Vancouver. I asked an airport worker in Vancouver if I could see a Health Canada official to explain my travel trajectory. The worker handed me a paper with the phone numbers of various provincial ministries of health and I was told to contact any of these numbers in the event that I felt flu-like symptoms.

I boarded my flight to Toronto then picked up my car and drove to my sister Donna’s home in Victoria Harbour. She had cooked and stocked the fridge and freezer with all my favourite foods, before she heading to a friend’s home, where she remained for the 14-days of self-isolation that I undertook.

In Victoria Harbour, I made contact with my spouse, Grant, to learn that while on a cross-Canada train the previous week for a vacation to Vancouver Island, his plans had to be aborted and he took a flight back to Toronto. This was the same night I was on my connecting flight to Toronto, but we were on different planes at different times. Grant had now begun to exhibit signs of COVID-19 infection. I should mention that once inside my car, I had taken off my mask and gloves for the first time—it turns out that Grant’s hands and breath had been all over the interior of our car just prior to me picking it up. I drove it for two hours not knowing anything about his diagnosis.

The good news is, after 14-days of self-isolation for both me in Victoria Har-bour and Grant in Toronto, we are both COVID-19-free.

With regard to my back and my spinal issues, after communicating with my doc-tor and describing my symptoms, it was deemed that I didn’t need the invasive surgeries suggested by the neurosurgeon in Vietnam. In my doctor’s opinion, I re-quired chiropractic and physiotherapeutic treatment rather than invasive surgery.

While writing this article, I have been reunited with Donna, who moved back into her house with me at the conclusion of my self-isolation. I have begun some new medication and exercises to correct my posture and to strengthen my back and spine. The plan is to return to my life and work in Ho Chi Minh City as soon as it is feasible.

I am grateful to the medical practitioners I interacted with here in Ontario from the time I arrived at my sister’s place. They helped relieve the sense of dread and an-guish that I felt after having flown for more than 30 hours at a cost of over $7,000, only

Mark wearing a traditional Vietnamese garment called an Ao Dai.


to be greeted with the fact that I couldn’tsee anyone about my medical condition.

There are many blessings underlying this story. First, the robin’s song I am greeted with every morning. I’d not been in Canada in spring for more than six years so hearing a robin was healing and welcome. I missed hearing these wonderful birds at this time of year. Another blessing were the walks I took by myself along the beautiful Tay Trail. Then there were the five trumpeter swans that flew over Donna’s yard while I was out burning the previous year’s Christmas

tree. It was amazing and wonderful as I had never seen or heard these beautiful birds in flight before. Finally, feeling the love of my sisters as they cared for me through closed doors and windows and via cellphones, vid-eo calls and text messaging is something I’ll never forget.

In times like these, the simple things become what really matter. When life is pared down to its core essentials, it is love that matters most—love of family, nature, and most of all the love of life itself that you appreciate.

PROTECT YOURSELF!

Health experts weigh in with some useful advice on how

to protect yourself and others if you or a family member is

home sick with the virus. While you’re home, you should

be monitoring your symptoms. If they seem to worsen,

call a hotline or your doctor.

Set up a quarantine zone Ideally a separate room, or at least

a space that is six feet away from others in the household.

Don’t take food directly from someone else This includes wrapped food items or containers. Food should

be left at the door to the separate room, or at the edge of

the designated quarantine zone.

Clean surfaces Make sure every surface you touch in or

out of the quarantine zone is disinfected, especially the kitchen

and bathroom.

Designate objects for the patient They should use their own plate or bowl and a set of cutlery

that is washed individually or sanitized in the dishwasher.

Have one designated caregiver They should wear a mask

and gloves if available—hand washing is a must.

SOURCE: BEST HEALTH

21

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Exploring an abandoned ghost town hidden

in the woods, high in the mountains of B.C.

by Brent Hendrick, Barrie, Ont.

OUR TRAVELS


L ast September, I decided to book a seven-day trip to British Columbia. I am a long time “urban explorer” and enjoy visiting abandoned places

and taking photos, as well as filming and documenting them for my YouTube chan-nel and Instagram page.

My father took me to my first abandoned farmhouse when I was just seven years old. The house had a lot of decay and unsafe floors but ever since that day I have been hooked on exploring abandoned places.

My aunt Stephanie lives on the Sunshine Coast, so I was planning on visiting her

A view from the end of the street in Bradian, B.C., with the mountains as a backdrop to the abandoned houses.

and had a few places in mind that I wanted to explore while there. An abandoned town called Bradian was at the top of my list. About two hours north of Pemberton, B.C., this abandoned mining town is known to be one of the most intact ghost towns in the province, with 22 houses in various states of repair, still standing.

Stephanie and I set out on September 28, headed for Bradian. The drive was amazing with great views of mountains and nature all around us. The road runs along beauti-ful turquoise-coloured Carpenter Lake and Hurley River. We made a number of stops to take some pictures and a video of bears eating salmon on the river bank, and deer running across the road. The drive took us along a lot of dirt roads that were very high up and right on the edge of the mountains, making it a very dangerous drive. This area is known for landslides and avalanches, so driving here presented some obstacles. There is also no cell phone service for a good part of the trip, so if we were to break down, there was no calling CAA.

We drove through a small town called Bralorne that sits right beside Bradian. The Bralorne Mine operated from 1931 to 1970 when four million ounces of gold and 1.2 million ounces of silver were produced—more than any other mining operation in British Columbia.

When the mines closed in 1970, the res-idents of Bradian found themselves hours from civilization with no jobs or income, so they left town. Bradian sat abandoned from 1970 until Tom and Kathleen Gutenburg bought it for $100,000 in 1997. For 17 years, they slowly fixed up the houses to protect

them from rotting away from the elements, adding new steel roofs and painting most of them. The couple sold the town in 2014 to a Chinese investment company for a mil-lion dollars. After six months of ownership, when their plans fell through, the Chinese company re-listed the property for sale.

Exploring Bradian and the surrounding area was a fascinating adventure. The high-lights of our trip included all the wildlife we saw, the stunning views of the scenery and, of course, the eerily abandoned houses in this tiny, fascinating ghost town. ■

Check out a video and more photos

on Brent’s YouTube channel at youtu.be/

xEAWPxAD7oI and on his Instagram at

www.instagram.com/abandoned_urbex_

canada

Clockwise from top left: a dirt road running alongside the Hurley River; a lone, empty house sits on a corner lot; a dusty kitchen inside one of the abandoned houses; a black bear eating salmon on the riverbank of the Hurley River.

MORE INFO

• The Bralorne Mine sits in a gold belt. In the 1870s, Chief Hunter Jack started to open up the area to chosen prospectors. Chosen, because he ran a ferry across the Bridge River, completely impassible without a boat.

• There’s evidence that he had a placer mine nearby, further up the creek. A mine so rich he was known to give out small golden nuggets at potlatches!

• In 1897, some of the prospectors he led founded the grounds that would eventually become Bralorne Mine.

• The company’s heyday came during the early 1930s as gold prices weren’t as affected by the Great Depression, and Bralorne Mine employed hundreds of people during one of the 20th century’s hardest times.

Source: The Vancouver is Awesome website

25

Since 2005, when I firststarted up Veteran Voices of Canada as a nonprofit

dedicated to sharing the stories and memories of our country’s war veterans, my colleagues and I have been travelling across Can-ada documenting these stories and experiences on camera. The taped interviews are then edited and donated to the family of the veteran as a keepsake, as well as

to educational institutions across Canada as a teaching resource. The video clips are also posted on our website for a wider audience.

Documenting the experiences of Canadians who sacrificed so much for the freedoms we have today has led to the creation of an invaluable video archive over the years—to many, it’s an histor-ical treasure. Travelling where needed and as funds allow, we

visit surviving veterans of World War II and the Korean War, as well as Canada’s more recent vet-erans, to document their histori-cally important military service.

Above all, the aim of Veterans Voices of Canada is to ensure our continuing Canadian military history, and those who helped make it, will never be forgotten.

To date, we have documented the stories of nearly 2,000 veter-

Lest We Forget...Canada’s war vets deserve much more than one day

of remembrance per year by Allan Cameron, Sylvan Lake, Alta.

CAUSE FOR APPLAUSE


ans across Canada. Because of the way we conduct our interviews, and through word of mouth, we have many more veterans who are ready and willing to share their stories. Although we are losing our Second World War veterans at an alarming rate, many are thankfully still with us; together with their brothers-in-arms from the Korean war and more current deployments, they

are awaiting their turn to have their experiences documented via Veteran Voices.

An important aspect of our approach is that we also pay trib-ute to our veterans both past and present through “living history” displays in communities across Canada every fall.

In 2017, we began our now annual Veterans Voices of Can-ada—Flags of Remembrance ceremonies, which pay tribute to the 128,000 Canadians in total who were killed or listed missing in action over the years, including those in the military and RCMP, from the Boer War to current missions. We also began to honour Canada’s first respond-ers in 2017, with the names of those honoured inscribed on one of 128 sponsored Plaques of Honour at each of our tribute

sites. Our ultimate goal is to have 128 communities from across Canada partner with and assist us in mounting a Flags of Remem-brance tribute in their region in the fall of every year, thereby ex-tending “Remembrance” beyond the one day currently set aside for such activities.

We have many educational and learning plans ahead, including opening a military history and learning centre in my hometown of Sylvan Lake, Alta. This centre will house and display authentic and replica military artifacts of historical and educational significance, and will be of inter-est to all. We will also highlight interviews with veterans we’ve conducted along the way, many of whom have donated memorabilia.

As you might expect, all of this requires funding and sponsor-ship. We have many volunteers helping make all this happen and, in the end, the only thing slow-ing down our important work is securing ongoing funding. This is where you can lend a hand. If you would like to help us keep Cana-dian military history alive via a tax-deductible donation, please see the details provided (below).With your help, we can continue to make a difference! ■

Editor’s note: To find out more

about our partner in bringing you

the Veteran Profile page in every

issue, visit vetvoicecan.org. If

you wish to, click on the donation

page or mail your donation to

Veterans Voices of Canada, P.O.

Box 255, Red Deer, AB T4N 5E8.

Clockwise from top left: Capt. Peter Mason/SAS (Ret’d) and his dog, Tess, during a home interview; Bombar-dier (Ret’d) Nicole Langlois, with Allan; Cpl. Mary MacEachern (Ret’d) at a 2018 Flags of Remembrance trib-ute. Joe Young, 8th Reconnaissance Regiment, 2nd Canadian Infantry.

27

The sweet smell of red cedar fillsthe tradesman’s senses. His feet shuffle through the layers of wood chips that litter the floor as he

moves around the totem he is carving. Skill-fully his chisel etches the outside ovoid of the Raven’s eye deep into the trunk of the ancient tree. The rhythmic tap-tap-tap of his hammer striking the chisel handle echoes from the walls of the longhouse, reminiscent of the ancient drums of his Haida ancestors.

In his youth, Stan spent years develop-ing the skills of his art. He learned from the best. His Uncle Walter was watghadagaang, a master carver. Endless days were devoted to observing his uncle chop and carve the huge trunks into magnificent totem poles. At first Stan simply helped by handing tools to the artist and sweeping up wood chips, but after a few years he gained his uncle’s respect and was taken under the older man’s tutelage.

Abruptly his uncle is there, in the long-house, reminding him in his patient voice, “Concentrate Stanley. Let the blade do the work.

“Easy now. Widen the outer ovoid,” the old artisan goes on. “Remember the basics I taught you; thick on top, thin on sides, and bottom symmetrical. That’s it. Now, com-press the edges on the eyelid lines. Yes, yes.”

Under his uncle’s eye, Stan had learned to chisel and paint, but had been limited to the top character of the pole. The carving of the “bottom man on the totem pole,” despite the saying, is reserved for the master crafts-

KANATA

Right: Tradi-tional symbols that often ap-pear on a Haida totem pole: Hummingbird, Bear, Frog and Beaver. ALL ILLUSTRATIONS: R.J.

BELCOURT & IGGY FAY

STAN 1965Sacred Haida traditions spring to life

in this excerpt from Blood Cove, a new

novel by R.J. Belcourt and Iggy Fay

courtesy of R.J. Belcourt, Leduc, Alta.


man, being the most highly viewed charac-ter of the structure.

“Stanley! Balance your fine lines.”“Uncle Walter! Enough already. I have

this.”“Careful, son. I may have taught you ev-

erything you know, but I did not teach youeverything I know.”

“Sorry, Uncle. I appreciate your advice, but I do remember everything you taught me before you passed away.”

“Very well, Stanley, understood. I will go now and leave you in peace. I look forward to the raising ceremony.”

“Thank you, Uncle. I will make you proud.”

“Goodnight, Stanley,” answers the ghost as he walks away and dissipates through the wall.

Today, Stan Fairchild is one of only a handful of Haida artists left on the island who practise this art and are interested in preserving the native traditions and cul-ture in any form. Growing up deep in the rain forest of Masset, Stan learned to fish the coastal waters with his father, while his mother taught him the medicinal val-ue of native plants found hidden on the lush carpet of the forest floor. Stan was prone to visions when he roamed the for-est alone. Quite commonly he would see ghostly shapes and forms in the forest, and not knowing what they were, he was afraid of them. Eventually he confided in his mother and she explained that he was special—that he was touched. She told him that the presence of his ancestors’ spirits was nothing to fear; rather, she taught Stan to train his mind to communicate with them. He soon learned they were not only a source of support and encouragement, but they were willing to share a trove of knowledge and folklore long lost to living band members.

Stan eventually moved south to Skide-gate to open a successful cannery busi-ness. He became proud of his heritage and somewhat of a self-proclaimed ambassa-dor of Haida Gwaii. Stan enjoyed sharing his fishing stories with the fishermen at the local watering hole. He loved teach-

ing the mothers and caregivers about the herbs and plants with secret medicinal properties that could be used to heal pa-tients of ailments that modern medicine failed to cure.

His enthusiasm was contagious, and soon the band began to experience a rejuvena-tion of Haida pride and confidence. Stan spearheaded the development of the Haida Council and was elected president. The protection of the Western red cedar forest was his main priority, which put him at odds with the big forestry companies seeking huge profits by harvesting the massive trees found throughout the area they egotistically called the Queen Charlotte Islands.

RAISING SPIRITSThe crowd huddles together on the beach,wrapped in tightly held blankets to shield themselves from the cold wind blowing off the ocean. They watch in silence as a Haida canoe approaches, propelled by ten strong men chanting and rowing in uni-son to the rhythm of the drummer seated at the centre. The steersman stands at the rear and guides the formidable canoe towards the beach. Carved from a single

About

BLOOD COVE

A young 18th century Romanian

man is turned into a vampire. He

is tormented by his inability to

control the bloodlust. He travels

across Europe in search of

vengeance, then for a child-

hood sweetheart. He crosses

the Atlantic, becomes a fur trader, helps build Casa

Loma in Toronto and runs liquor for Al Capone

during Prohibition. In 1980, he becomes a teacher in

the small B.C. town of Blood Cove, where he kidnaps

a young Haida boy as his blood source. Soon the

whole town, aided by Haida folklore spirits, is trying

to solve the boy’s disappearance. The vampire is

unaware that he has been hunted through all those

travels by a forgotten enemy, and the inevitable

confrontation approaches.

29

About the Authors

R.J. BELCOURT Raymond

(R.J.) Belcourt was raised in Blezard

Valley, a village nestled in the boreal

region of northern Ontario. He spent

his youth hunting, fishing and

trapping around the Sudbury area.

His great appreciation of the wilder-

ness and his eye for landscape and

natural form both have their origins in his many

boyhood adventures in the forest. In the early 1980s,

he moved to western Canada to work on the oil rigs.

After 40 years in the industry, he re-visited his artistic

roots and developed skills as an amateur photogra-

pher, capturing unique perspectives of the Prairies.

Ray also enjoys writing short stories about past life

experiences. He reunited with an old friend, Iggy Fay,

who encouraged him to share his talents and passion

with the public. Together they have published several

short stories in magazines and also several books:

Haiga Moments, Artscapes/Pays-Arts Canada and

their latest, Blood Cove. Ray lives in Leduc, Alta., with

his beautiful wife, Cami. He has four wonderful

children: Jasmine, Devon, Rose and Luana.

IGGY FAY Ignatius a.k.a. “Iggy”

was raised in Levack, Ont., just north-

west of Sudbury. Born with asthma,

Iggy’s health deteriorated in his 30s,

when he was diagnosed with several

lung, heart and digestive tract

disorders. In the 1970s, he owned

three pizza franchises in the Sudbury

area. He hired Ray in 1974, at age 14, who went on to

become one of his best employees ever.

Iggy married in 1973 and had two daughters, Kathryn

and Danielle. In 1977, he sold the business and went to

Saskatoon to work on his PhD in paleontology. Ray and

Iggy became reacquainted in 1982, when Ray hopped

on his motorcycle and paid him a visit. In 1986, Iggy had

a lung removed, and was placed on 24-hour oxygen

support, permanently disabled. His marriage ended that

year. He taught himself computer graphics and began

writing Haiku poetry. Around 2002, Ray and Iggy

reconnected again. Iggy shared his poetry with Ray,

who, in turn, shared his photography. The pair began

working together, and eventually published Haiga

Moments, a compilation of photo-illustrated poetry.

Their creative collaboration continues, with Blood Cove.

16-metre red cedar log and capable of hold-ing up to five tonnes of cargo, the Lootaas, or Wave-eater, meets little resistance as it breasts the ocean waves.

The group onshore erupts in applause and joins the paddlers in chanting and drumming, as the men step from the canoe into the icy water and drag the dugout onto the beach. Forming a loose procession, they move up the beach towards the to-tem pole lying on the sand. When they and members of the crowd have taken their positions along both sides of the pole, Stan shouts directions through a megaphone. On his count, the crowd hoists the totem pole and carefully carries the heavy trunk towards a deep hole that has been dug near the tree line. The elders, wearing ornate white ermine hats and chilkat blankets, sit proudly in chairs to observe the celebra-tion. With its bottom end overhanging the hole, the totem pole is lain back down and heavy ropes are attached to its upper por-tions. These ropes are linked to a series of poles and levers.

Stan separates the excited crowd into four groups that, at his command, tug the ropes to raise the pole. As the pole nears vertical, the bottom drops into the hole. The jubilant crowd cheers and yelps at the sight of their marvelous totem pole stand-ing tall and magnificent. Once it is in posi-tion, everybody participates in filling the hole at the base with large rocks and sand. A ceremonial dance ensues; warriors with rattles pursue masked children covered in cedar bows.

PH

OT

O: K

AT

HR

YN

FA

Y


Stan is overwhelmed by emotion. Theproject over which he has toiled for more than a year has come to fruition. He holds back tears as the ceremonial dance ends and the local Shaman blesses the great totem pole.

“You’ve accomplished a wonderful thing here, Stan,” says Big Mama, wrapping her arms around her husband.

“Thank you, dear, for your patience and support.”

“Look at the pride in their faces. It’s been years since we’ve experienced such fellow- ship in the band.”

“We must take responsibility for helping our young people to discover their Haida roots. We need to educate them, to lead by example.”

Big Mama looks up at Stan’s weathered face and smiles. ‘This is why I married you.”

“And here I thought it was because of my boyish good looks.”

“Love you, baby.”“Love you, too, honey.”“Let’s go home now, you silly old

fool,” she says playfully. “You need your rest.”

“Just a moment, hon. I have one more thing I must do.”

Stan walks over to the carving, closes his eyes and presses his right hand against the pole. When he opens his eyes after a moment, he sees his Uncle Walter sitting cross-legged in the sand nearby. His uncle smiles, nods his head in agreement and puts his hand on his heart. Stan puts his hand on his heart and smiles back at his uncle.

“Stan, is everything okay?” asks Big Mama.

“Yes, honey,” answers Stan, turning and walking to her.

“Walter just appeared to you, didn’t he, sweetheart?”

“Yes, he sure did.”“And he approved?”“Yes, he sure did,”

repeats Stan with a wide grin. ■

Far left: Haida Moon and, below, Raven.

A Great Celebration!

Blood Cove was officially launched on

February 27, 2020, with a book release and

signing event in Edmonton at the Sawridge Inn.

Friends and family, as well as members

of several community groups, were on hand

to congratulate both of the authors and

wish them well.

Blood Cove is available for purchase online at

bookstores such as amazon.ca and indigo.caPH

OT

O: L

UA

NA

BE

LC

OU

RT

31

A TASTE OF CANADA

POTATO SALAD

IST

OC

KP

HO

TO

When it comes to this summer favourite, the options are endless!


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATIONAmount Per Serving (¾ cup): 365 calories, 28 g fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 497 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g sugars, 2 g fibre, 7 g protein.

2 lbs red potatoes, quartered ½ lb bacon strips, chopped ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup creamy Caesar

salad dressing ¼ cup ranch salad dressing 3 tbsp sour cream 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 green onions, chopped ¼ cup shredded cheddar

cheese Coarsely ground pepper,

optional

LOADED POTATO SALAD

Prep: 30 minutes + chilling Yield: 8 servings

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medi-um heat, until crisp. Remove to paper towels, drain, reserving 3 tbsp of drippings.

3. Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add bacon and reserved drippings, then toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled.

4. Whisk the mayonnaise, dressings, sour cream and mustard in a small bowl. Pour over potato mixture; toss to coat. Stir in onions and cheese. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

“Get a load of this: sour cream, bacon, shredded cheddar, green onions and more come together to give you all the richness of restaurant potato skins at your next picnic.”Monique Boulanger,

Greenwood, N.S.

IMPERIAL 1 oz 6 oz 1 tsp 1 tbsp ¼ cup ½ cup ¾ cup 1 cup 2 lbs METRIC 30 g 185 g 5 ml 15 ml 60 ml 125 ml 180 ml 250 ml 1 kg

WEIGHTSCONVERSION CHART

33

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATIONAmount Per Serving (1½ cups): 416 calories, 20 g fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 88 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g sugars, 5 g fibre, 35 g protein.

“I usually use leftover barbecued steak to make this fabulous main dish salad. It's pretty, too, with the red pepper, green broccoli and white potatoes.”Deyanne Davies,

Rossland, B.C.

STEAK & NEW POTATO TOSS FOR TWO

Total Time: 30 minutes Yield: 2 servings

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 8-11 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°F; medium, 140°F; medium-well, 145°F). Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

3. Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients.

4. Drain broccoli and potatoes, and place in a large bowl. Add beef and red pepper, then drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

½ lb small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

10 oz. beef top sirloin steak 1½ cups fresh broccoli florets ½ cup chopped sweet red

pepper

VINAIGRETTE 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 green onion, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ tsp ground mustard ¼ tsp paprika ⅛ tsp pepper



4 lbs red potatoes, cubed 3 tbsp plus ⅔ cup white wine

vinegar, divided 8 hard-boiled large eggs,

sliced 6 radishes, thinly sliced ½ cup minced chives 1 cup buttermilk ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp prepared mustard 1 tbsp dried minced onion 1 tbsp dill weed ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper

TANGY POTATO SALAD WITH RADISHES

Total Time: 40 minutes + chilling Yield: 13 servings (¾ cup each)

1. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven, cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Immediately sprinkle with 3 tbsp of vinegar, let cool.

2. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add the eggs, radishes and chives. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, onion, dill, salt, pepper and remaining vinegar. Pour over potato mixture and gently stir to coat. Refrigerate until chilled.

“Summer's approach makes my family think of potato salad. This tangy side is also great in the winter when it's served hot with cubed ham.”

Peggy Gwillim, Strasbourg,

Sask.


TZATZIKI POTATO SALAD

Total TIme: 25 min. + chilling Yield: 12 servings (¾ cup each)

1. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven, add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled.

2. In a small bowl, mix tzatziki sauce, celery, yogurt, green onions, dill, parsley, salt, celery salt, pepper and, if desired, mint. Spoon over potatoes and toss to coat.

"My son has an egg allergy, so this potato salad is perfect for him. For extra colour, add radishes, apple and garlic dill pickles."

Cindy Romberg, Mississauga

3 lbs small red potatoes, halved

1 carton (12 oz.) refrigerated tzatziki sauce

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 2 green onions, chopped 2 tbsp snipped fresh dill 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp celery salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 tbsp minced fresh mint,

optional


naturalcalm.ca

The Better Magnesium.BETTER-ABSORBING, BETTER-TASTING, BEST LOVED.

You know by now how important magnesium is for your family’s overall health and why it might be hard to get your nutitional requirements in your diet alone.

Backed by thousands of 5 star reviews on Amazon, hundreds of shining testimonials and being the number one supplement in the U.S. for years running, Natural Calm is North America’s favourite way to ensure healthy magnesium levels. Available online and wherever natural health products are sold

CELE

BRATING 15 YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES

• ESTABLISHED 2005 •

Founder & CEONatural Calm Canada

IT’S TRADITION

For the past 15 years, on aJune weekend, my seven siblings and I—children of

the late Lois and Herbert Coolen of Wolfville, N.S.,—get together for a weekend getaway. Can you imagine eight siblings who want to get together? With a 22-year span between the eldest and the youngest, Violet, Esther, Austin, Christine, Bonnie, Pam, my twin Faye and I all look forward to sharing adventures of yard sales, delicious food, beachcombing, laughter and entertainment.

It all started with an idea that one of the youngest proposed after reading an article in a mag-azine about some sisters who planned an annual weekend re-treat. In year one, only the sisters went to stay in a beautiful older farm house in Green Bay, N.S.

Sisters only, meant that seven of the eight of us attended. We planned a turkey dinner for Sat-urday night—who knew it would be over 30° C that day? There was even a heat warning that weekend—phew!

At each meal time we noticed the table place settings should have been for eight. There was

always one lone plate in the cup-board. Someone was missing! Would our only brother, Austin, even want to spend a weekend with his sisters? We explained how it didn’t feel right without him. It wasn’t his fault he was the only male! We were really pleased that he agreed to join us on our annual adventure.

We came up with a theme for the next one and spent the entire year collecting items to wear and share around it. We decided to adjust our menu, too!

We begin by meeting up at

one sister’s place in Falmouth, N.S., which is a central location for most of us. We leave from there in two loaded cars on our way to Chester Basin, where we connect with the final, eighth sibling—now we’d be complete—especially since she’s the one who brings the desserts!

Over the years, our route to Petite Rivière has become rou-tine. A stop at Ocean View Gar-den Centre and many yard sales, including the St. James Anglican Church sale in Mahone Bay.

By noon on Saturday, we have eaten out at places such as Sweet Indulgence and Knot Pub in Lunenburg or, after a ride across the water on the LaHave ferry, the LaHave Bakery.

Our family always tries to spread joy and silliness. There can never be enough laughter!

Over the years, we have stayed in two cottages, but much prefer one large house so that we are all together to fully enjoy being together. After unloading and claiming our sleeping spaces, out

Gaye’s twin sister, Faye, displaying 15 scrapbooks full of wonderful Coolen-family memories.

The Coolen Sibling RetreatSeven sisters and one brother

gather yearly to share good times,

laugh, cry and reminisce

by Gaye Coolen, Forest Hill, N.S.


comes a jigsaw puzzle that usually gets completed by the end of the weekend.

Austin does an amazing job of barbecuing chicken, while three different salads are readied for the supper table. There are extraordi-nary desserts, too!

Stories shared around the table bring gales of laughter and sometimes, tears. As the evening entertainment approaches, sighs and worried looks are exchanged as the two youngest (now almost 60) prepare their games. You never know what they have in mind as they try to keep some secrets and surprises. Laughter from all has the place shaking!

Some find it easier to go to bed than others as we are exhausted and know it’s an early start in the morning—we are all usually early risers. The smell of coffee brewing, waffles cooking and a quiche in the oven awaken those who aren’t on breakfast duty. In pajamas, those who await an available shower, try to add a few more pieces to the jigsaw puzzle.

Often at the breakfast table, tokens or small gifts from and for one another are found at

each place setting. All is quiet as everyone enjoys an amazingly delicious breakfast. This is when we review our list of who brings what for the following year and discuss a theme.

Dishes and clean-up don’t take long. Everyone prepares for a morning of beach walks. Cres-cent, Rissers, Cherry Hill and Green Bay beaches get explored again by we Coolens who, each year, have a photo taken of our family name and year written in the sand.

We offer bubble wands and ribbons to any child on the beach who isn’t frightened away by our silliness—there’s something about the ocean—or has it al-ways been that way with us?

After returning to the house for lunch, everyone packs up while a few are still rushing to complete the puzzle.

As we load up the vehicles, there is lots of talk of our newly made memories and plans for the next year’s adventure.

Many people are astounded that our family carries on this tradition. The photos and mem-ories are gathered in a scrap-book for sharing with friends and family. Every sibling has a two-page summary for each year, gathered in an ever growing binder.

We feel very fortunate to have been brought up by parents who taught us to appreciate and value family time. ■

SHARE your own new

or long-held traditions at

ourcanada.ca or see page

64 for our mailing address.

All eight Coolen siblings at Green Bay Beach, N.S., in June 2014 (above) and on the LaHave ferry, celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 (right).

39

Celebrating a reunion that was 76 years in

the making by Charlotte Valente, Kamloops, B.C.

There is a quote that says, “Cous-ins are connected heart to heart. Distance and time can’t break them apart.” Truer words were never spoken in regard to

my dad, Don Ray, and his cousin Alfred Ray. Last September, they saw each other for the first time in 76 years; the previous time, Al-fred was only ten years old and my dad was 12. They didn’t know it at the time, but a lifetime would pass before they’d set eyes on each other again.

Although they both grew up in British Columbia, my dad was raised in Mission, while Alfred grew up in Fort Fraser, about 840 kilometres away. Life was different 76 years ago; not like today, when you can easily phone or text someone who lives far away.

As the years went by, both completed their educations and went to work, got mar-ried and raised a family.

Then a few years back, Alfred called my Dad to surprise him. By now my dad was living in Kamloops and Alfred in Vander-

Long-Distance

ConnectionAbove, from left, the three cousins: Alfred, 86; Mary, 100; and Don, 88.


Below: a family photo taken on the big day. Front row, from left: Alfred Ray, Mary Westlake, and Don Ray. Back row, from left: Ray West-lake, Gerrie Ray, Charlotte Valente and Mary Ray.

hoof; closer but still quite a drive. They would always phone each other and say “I’m going to come and see you one day!” I decided to make that day happen.

Vanderhoof is about a six-hour drive from Kamloops, so my parents and I packed up the car and headed up the Cariboo Trail, en-joying all the historical sites and views along the way. Finally, on September 11, 2019, the long-awaited reunion finally arrived. As we pulled into Alfred’s driveway, he and his lovely wife, Gerrie, greeted us with open arms. Those two little boys who last saw each other in 1943 were now two gentleman of 86 and 88 years of age.

During our stay in Vanderhoof, my dad

was also able to see Alfred’s sister, Mary, who is 100 years old. Mary and her son Ray drove an hour from Prince George to spend the afternoon with us. There was lots of laughter as the three cousins chatted away, strolling down memory lane.

During our visit, we met many family members and learned more about our fam-ily history. I am so grateful that I was able to make this trip happen for my parents, and reunite Dad with his cousins. It was the trip of a lifetime. One thing in particular that I noticed is that both Dad and Alfred are good at telling stories. They tell them with a twin-kle in their eyes and a smile in their voices—it must be a family thing. ■

41

Hello friends, I amPeter Trenholm. The Trenholms came to the new

world from England in 1772. I have four brothers and four sisters, and am the eighth child born to Hudson and Mary (Peers), coming into this world on July 29, 1949. I was raised in the beautiful seaside village of Pugwash on the north shore of Nova Scotia. My wife, Myrna, and I have four children

and 13 grandchildren. My first memory of music was at age five, listening to my parents’

small Admiral radio and, at 14, I taught myself guitar. In 1963 I saw Doc Williams in concert, which was my first exposure to

this thing called country music—and I liked it! Soon after, I heard the music of Hank Williams for the first time and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I’ve performed at dances, weddings, fu-nerals, prisons, exhibitions, benefits, festi-vals, seniors’ care facilities, all-denomina-tional church functions, you name it—over 1,000 concerts in all. I began performing in the 1980s at country, bluegrass and gospel concerts. Special among these is the pris-on ministry that Myrna and I shared for eight years. Fans soon began asking for recordings. I issued my first album, His Love Is Free, in 1995, which was the first of four albums produced by one of Canada’s finest musicians, Ray Legere. Thanks to

its success, I was honoured to receive an invitation to perform on Rita MacNeil’s television show. I’ve also been a featured vocalist at Atlantic Canada’s Steel Guitar Club annual concerts, and for ten years appeared on Fred Isenor’s very popular television show, The Bluegrass & Coun-try Jamboree. In 2015, I performed at the world-famous Cyrus Eaton dining hall in Pugwash, this being the original location where the Pugwash Conferences on Sci-ence and World Affairs were first held in 1957. It was a privilege to perform at such an historic site.

The first-ever gospel tribute to my musi-cal hero Hank Williams happened in 2007. As a guest speaker, I told Hank’s story and performed with local artists. This concert was so successful it was repeated three times in two years. I was also involved with tribute concerts to Jim Reeves and Tom T. Hall. In 2010, I performed my own tribute to Hank Williams, receiving a standing ova-tion from a full house.

I’ve been to Alabama several times and participated in the annual Hank Williams birthday celebrations there. I’ve written several articles on Hank, published in the Georgiana Fan Club newsletter. I’m a lifetime member of the Hank Williams Appreciation Society and of the two mu-seums in Montgomery and Georgiana. As a Hank Williams Sr. and Classic Country Music historian, I’ve met many of Hank’s relatives and friends. For the past nine years I’ve produced Hank Williams radio tributes that aired January 1st, the anni-versary of Hank’s death.

Having been nominated by Canadian country musician Michael T. Wall for entry

Top: Peter learned to play guitar at 14. Above: Peter and his wife Myrna. Bottom right: Peter nowadays, still performing and recording at 70!

SHOWCASE

ODE TO HANK“I grew up on classic country and gospel, and I still find joy

in the songs of my lifelong musical hero, Hank Williams”

by Peter Trenholm, Pugwash, N.S.


into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame, I was invited to perform at the organization’s 37th annual country and bluegrass festival in Lemars, Iowa, in 2012.It was thrilling to meet and perform on the same stage as Grand Ole Opry star Lynn Anderson, John-Rex Reeves (nephew to Jim Reeves) and Terry Smith (three-time Grammy award winner for writing Far Side Banks of Jordan, recorded by Johnny Cash). I was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the president Bob Everhart while performing for 1,200 festival fans. It was a humbling and proud moment during my musical ca-reer. In 2019, I was invited back to receive their Lifetime Achievement Award.

INTERNATIONAL APPEALI joined the team of Diamondback record-ing artists from California in 2014, releas-ing singles to the European and North American markets. Joyce Ramgatie from the Netherlands publishes The Global International Mainstream Country Music Charts. DJs from around the world report their radio playlists to Joyce; in return, she produces Top 200 Artists and Top 40 sin-gles lists in Europe. I’ve been number one on three occasions since 2014, the same year my recording of “Truck Driving Man” was a number two hit on the Top 40 singles charts. Rainer H. Schmeissner of Ger-many issues Country Ideals and I’ve been published five times in this fine country music magazine.

My music has also been show-cased by Dann Hansen (Den-mark), Miroslaw Desperak (Po-land), Bryan Chalker (England), Darren Mullens (China), and Big Al Field from Triple “U” FM stations in Australia, where I was asked to tour in 2017.

I’ve also had success on the north-ern U.S. gospel charts with my own composition, “Passing Through.”

To date, I’ve issued 26 albums—ten gospel, 14 classic country/blue-grass, and two devoted to Christmas. Currently I host my own radio pro-

gram, The Gospel Trail, which airs week-ly in Kentucky, Scotland and Nova Sco-tia. Response has been phenomenal and showcasing national and local artists, both past and present, helps me promote the music I love.

I’m not a preacher, just someone who likes to share gospel and classic country/bluegrass. At 70, I’m still performing and re-leasing CDs, for which I am thankful. While the music has been and still is wonderful, it is all the friends I’ve made along the way that have made this journey so special. To my beautiful wife Myrna I say, “Thanks for allowing me to be part of your life for the past 50 years.” ■

Peter’s music is available at www.

countrymusictreasures.com

and elsewhere online.

The Gospel Trail

radio show airs on

CFTA 107.9 FM out

of Amherst, N.S.,

and online at www.

cftafm.com. Write

to Peter at hankfan@

ns.sympatico.ca

SHARE PHOTO CONTEST

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH


Congratulations to the

winners of our annual

photo contest—choosing

among such amazing

entries wasn’t easy! Here

are the three winners,

along with some others

we felt worthy of special

mention. Thanks to all

who participated!

YOUR CANADA

1st place: $500

Iconic Canadian MomentStanley Aryanto, Lake Louise, Alta.

“I feel this image of my friend George,

skating with his hockey stick and puck, is a

perfect representation of Canada: a frozen

lake, skating and hockey. When I think about

Canada, these are three iconic things that

come to mind. This photo was captured on

Lake Louise during a flash freeze, when the

lake freezes overnight. As you can see the

surface was still pristine and not as tracked

as usual, as we were the first ones to head

out on the ice that day.”

45

2nd place: $300

Trees in ReflectionKyle Strongman, Sherbrooke, N.S.

“I love this picture because there were

so many elements that came together to

create this scene. We’d had a lot of rain

that made the river rise and flood, and it

was also snowing heavily, but the leaves

on the beech tree were still hanging on.

The water revealed the reflection of the

trees, the snow isolated the beach tree,

and the remaining leaves gave a pop of

colour to an otherwise stark winter

environment.”

place: $200

Spider EyesMel Diotte, LaSalle, Ont.

“I choose this macro shot of a tiny

jumping spider because I find tiny

spiders and insects look really cool

when magnified. This tiny spider, for

example, is no bigger than half the

size of a fingernail, yet you are able

to see my reflection in the spider’s

eyes when the image is viewed at a

larger size. Nature is amazing.”

3rd

47

RUNNERS-UP

PERFECT TIMING “I took this photo in my own

backyard,” shares Jessie Urff of 108 Mile Ranch, B.C. “As

we pulled up our driveway,

I jumped out of the car and

just started snapping pictures.

Trying not to spook him, I

stood on a cement block and

leaned against a post while

trying not to fall. As the buck

was nibbling and tugging on

the snow-covered branches

without a worry, the sun

shone at a perfect angle

allowing me to capture this

shot in all its natural glory.”

LONESOME COWBOY

“Rodeos can sometimes

be overlooked or misunder-

stood, so my goal is to show

the ‘behind the scenes’ of it

all,” explains Gralyn Boyd of

Rimbey, Alta. “These types of

candid photos are a favourite

of mine because you get the

whole picture, there is no

posing or telling people where

to look, it’s all improvised

and quickly shot. I have been

travelling to rodeos my whole

life and know the horses, the

people and the events—all of

it. This particular photo was

taken at the Nicola Valley Pro

Rodeo in Merritt, B.C., show-

ing stock contractor Ward

Macza in front of some of the

best horses in the world.”


WATERFALL IN MOONLIGHT“Crescent Falls on the Bighorn River in Clearwater County,

Alta., is a true sensory experience,” says Dean McLeod of

Saskatoon. “I climbed down to the lower tier and, after

waiting for hours with my camera attached to a tripod, the

moon finally came into view and inched its way across the

sky into position over the falls. It was so bright that it lit up

the flowing water with beautiful reflections that cast a glow

throughout the amphitheater. I was the only soul for miles

to witness this wonderful spectacle of nature.” ■

49

There once was a boywho found a magnif-icent tree that wasstanding alone in a

field of wildflowers and green grasses. He circled its trunk with his hands, gently touching its weathered and aging bark. “I will climb you one day,” he announced to its branches. “If I could only grow a few extra inches!”

He returned to the tree nearly every day that summer. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, some-thing that can only be experienced in one’s youth. Oh how his imagina-tion took him on fantastic adventures of pirates and treasures, and of he-roes and villains. There were secret missions around the world and rock-ets to Mars.

On the last day of summer, he played on well past dinner. From the edge of the field he could hear his dad calling. Dejectedly he sauntered back home with his hands in his pockets, glancing back at his unconquered

mountain of branches.As the seasons changed, so did the

boy. Eventually, he became tall enough to scale the tree’s branches but instead

would merely stare fondly at it in pass-ing. He wanted to fit in and please his

friends, and they were not inter-ested in some old tree in an other-wise empty lot. Patiently the tree waited with its roots firmly planted deep in the field of his subconscious.

The tree stood alone once more as the hands of time moved

forward. Then this boy be-came a man, leaving his childhood behind in search of success and to make his mark in the world. His boy-hood adventures slowly

drifted away down the river of memories in his mind.

Years went by and he found himself with a family of his own. There still remained a longing for his childhood home,

though, and so began the first of many summer vacations with

his parents in his boyhood home. They were more than happy to

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brant is an amateur writer of

predominantly poetry and occasionally short stories.

He also dabbles in painting, mainly watercolour, but is

currently attempting acrylic. Short nature hikes are his

favourite way to relax and unwind and, as a result,

some wildlife and landscape photography has

made its way on to the walls of his home.

Brant has been happily married to Tina,

his high-school sweetheart, for 20

years and they are the proud

parents of a teenage son, Aidan.

THE FORGET- ME-NOT TREE

WRITER’S BLOCK

Childhood dreams may fade, but they never dieby Brant Caissie, Brantford, Ont.


hear the sounds of their grandson echo-ing off the walls, bringing back cherished memories.

His son slept in his old room and com-pared his height with markings on the wall. He played with his dad’s old toys and had adventures in the yard. The son was un-knowingly chasing the shadows of his fa-ther’s past.

One day, his son ran in the house asking to play in a nearby field. “The one with the huge tree in the middle,” he announced, as he bounced up and down with excitement. His father smiled and said “I don’t see why not. You know, I remember playing there when I was your age.” Off the boy ran as his father grinned and became lost in thought as memories began to rise to the surface like roots in search of water.

His son ran through the field towards the towering tree. Like father like son—his imagination whirled with images of dino-saurs and rocket ships and missions to the stars. Without a care he hopped and twirled and zipped around its trunk.

The light began to wane, marking the end of another day. His father walked to the edge of the field about to call him home but hesitated when he noticed his son jumping desperately trying to reach the lowest branches to no avail. As he watched, memories of his former self tugged at him like a child demanding his attention.

So instead he began to walk through the field, all the while holding out his arms al-lowing the wild grasses to tickle the palms of his hands. The closer he got to the tree the more he felt like the boy he left behind so many years ago.

“Looks like you could use a little help,” he said to his son, then proceeded to climb the tree that had patiently waited so long for his return. A child- like giggle escaped his mouth as he reached down, offering his hand like an olive branch to his youth. His son smiled from ear to ear as he was lifted up to grab the nearest limb

As the sun set they sat beside each other within this seemingly wizened old tree, both knowing this was a special moment, a moment they would never forget. ■

FEELING INSPIRED? If you are a writing enthusiast looking

for an appreciative audience, why not

share your fiction, creative nonfiction

and poetry with the Our Canada

community? Or, if you are a member

of a writing group, we’d love to hear

from you! Submit your material at

ourcanada.ca for a chance to be

published in a future issue.

BIRDS & BLOOMS

My favourite type of photographygenres are nature and portrai-ture; for me, nature images arevery similar to portraiture, espe-

cially street photography. The only differ-ence with nature photos are that the sub-jects tend to have four legs, two wings or atail! They rarely hold a pose when asked, or strike the particular pose requested by the photographer.

Although I cannot claim to be a “bird-er,” I do enjoy capturing pics of some types of birds, especially large ones such as bald eagles. They look so majestic, elegant and powerful—particularly in flight.

The bald eagle is not commonly seen here in Perth where I live, but is very common on

Canada’s West Coast, where I love to trav-el. I spent some time in Masset and OldMasset in Haida Gwaii last summer. While there, I had ample opportunities to “shoot” some bald eagles, both adults and juveniles.

While driving along in Old Masset, I saw this bald eagle (left) perched high in a Sitka spruce on the edge of the road. Of course I stopped my car, got out and started to take some pictures.

The eagle looked down at me as I looked up at it. I was hoping it would take flight but it didn’t. We watched each other for perhaps 20 minutes. I was using a teleconverter lens (used to magnify subjects) as I like my bird subjects to be up close and personal—as if I was shooting a portrait of a person. ■

This impressive bald eagle was perched high in a Sitka spruce tree.

PERCHED ON HIGH This proud predator was ready and waiting

for his close-up! by Bruce Raby, Perth, Ont.

SUMMER VIBES“The vibrant yellow of

this sunflower reminds

me of a beautiful summer

day in New Glasgow,

P.E.I.,—inspired by my

girlfriend, Natalie,”

shares Trevor Ferrish of

Halifax. “It was our first

trip together to P.E.I.,

along with my son.

Natalie was meeting my

family for the first time.

I know we were both

nervous about how

things would go, but it

was fantastic! The whole

trip was amazing and

this photo always

reminds me of that trip,

the summer and pure

happiness.”

53

Iam somewhat of a minimalistat heart. I keep very little in the way of things. But one collec-

tion I do enjoy having sits on thevery top shelf in our living room. It’s in a prominent place where it can easily be viewed and appreci-ated. I have always had an interestin photography, so these cameras are something that hold both inspiration and sentiment for me. I have, on occasion, picked up old cameras in second-hand shops. I have always loved the look and the idea of owning a vintage camera, but I always ended up putting back what I had picked up because it just didn’t feel authen-tically “mine.”

The cameras in this collec-tion, however, were acquired when my grandfather—Papa, as we called him—passed away. I remember Papa as always being the one with the camera and that

COLLECTORS

A Gift from ‘Papa’He loved his cameras and now they’re

a family treasure by Ann Lane, Cobourg, Ont.


could very well have been where my interest in photography first began. I remember the excite-ment of sending in rolls of film to be developed at Woolworth’s and having to wait two weeks for the prints to be processed. My Papa and Gran immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1972, so some of the cameras in this collec-tion come from Scotland, while the others are Canadian made. One of the most recognizable is the Kodak Duaflex, which was manufactured in Toronto with the original version hitting the market in 1947. The Duaflex was the first in this particular line of cameras to continue production to about 1960, although by the time the final version came to market—the Duaflex IV, another

one of Papa’s prized cameras—the manufacturing was being done in Rochester. A unique feature on both of these models is the viewfinder located on the top. When looking down into the camera, you see a clear but re-versed scene. Even without film to load in it now, it’s interesting to look through the glass and see a perspective that’s so different from the way modern cameras operate.

The Jelco Zoom 77, another member of my collection, was purchased for precisely £18 (British pounds) in Scotland in 1966. It is an 8-mm movie cam-era that was manufactured by Nihon Cine Industry Co. Ltd., in Japan. Since this camera doesn’t operate with batteries, it has a hand-winder on the side to pow-er the motor. The original bill of sale for this one is safely tucked away inside the carry case that it came with.

Although I love all of the cameras in my collection, my favourite is the Halina 35X. I love

its look, and the nostalgia evoked by its old leather case (see photo above). Fully manual and truly classic in appearance, it was ap-parently quite popular in the U.K. in the 1960s. For anyone who could afford the luxury of a cam-era, it gave them the opportunity to begin capturing the moments and scenes that mattered most to them. This camera also came with an (almost) undiscovered surprise inside for me.

Until I began writing this story, I had never thought to open up the backside of the camera. I have taken the cameras down from the shelf to clean them, many times, and simply enjoy the feel of them in my hands but I have never, ever thought to open up the back. Now that I have, I am thrilled to have discovered that there is a roll of film still inside with half of the exposures already used. The treasures that I imagine to be on that roll have me intrigued! I know my next project is going to be a photo-graphic journey back in time. ■

Clockwise from above: Just a few of Papa’s cameras; a closeup of the Kodak Duaflex with top-mounted viewfinder; the Jelco Zoom 77 hand-cranked 8-mm movie camera; Ann as a child, camera in hand, with a smiling Papa seated behind her.

55

When I was a lad of tenin Essex, England, I had a friend who

would let me ride his 98cc James Comet motorcycle around the fields. This exposure to a two-wheeled vehicle ignited my love and enthusiasm for all things motorcycle-oriented. Shortly thereafter, I got my own bike, an Excelsior Universal 150cc, which my dad and I bought for about $7.50. It came in bits and pieces but within a few weeks we had it reassembled into an operational motorcycle. I was thrilled and proud. The only thing missing were handlebar grips, which I

fashioned out of electrical tape until I could afford real ones, and I was good to go!

I rode that bike until I was old enough to acquire my driver’s license. When that happened, I immediately went out and bought my first street-legal bike. It was a beautiful blue-and-cream James Superswift, which I used to ride to work as an apprentice me-chanic. The time I spent with that motorcycle was an ideal train-ing experience for what would eventually become my future motorcycle restoration hobby. In due course, I graduated from the Superswift to a 600cc Nor-

ton Dominator motorcycle and sidecar. Riding with a sidecar was a very different experience and required me to learn a few new driving techniques. In my late teens, I began collecting British bikes, as they were inexpensive and available in the 1970s due to brands being more prevalent and the British bike industry going broke. That collection consist-ed of about 26 bikes, including Triumph motorcycles, Nortons, BSAs, a Velocette, a Matchless, Ducati and more. I would have to say that my favourite at that time was a 1970 Norton Commando Roadster.

Freewheeling & RestoringA motorcycle enthusiast’s ongoing passion for the road and

bringing old bikes back to life by Kevin Browne, Edmonton

WHEELS


When I immigrated to Canada in the early ’80s, my collection was partially sold and the rest donated to a local museum; however, I wish I still had some of those bikes in my collection today. Upon my arrival, my focus was to establish a new life, so my motor-cycle hobby was put on the back burner for several years. It wasn’t until about 1990 that I was able to start riding for pleasure again. My wife and I would average about 12,000 kilometres every summer, going to rallies, races, sightsee-ing, and exploring backcountry roads all over western Canada and the United States. One of my favourite trips was a ride to the California Laguna Seca Raceway to watch the MotoGP racing. There were a number of factors that made that trip special for me, including the fact that it was my wife Heather’s first solo ride on a BMW 750RT, our first time touring the beautiful West Coast, and my first live MotoGP race. My bike at the time was a comfortable and powerful BMW K1100 LT.

Every summer for the past 30 years, I have undertaken a bike road trip to many different loca-tions including British Columbia,

Washington, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Nevada, to name a few. Up until about 12 years ago, we would take our camping gear and sleep under the stars, but my old bones currently prefer a softer bed. Each and every trip was memo-rable in its own right. I met a lot of interesting and special people along the way. Sadly, my wife Heather, who will be with me in loving memory always, passed away in 2010.

Retirement PastimeNow, being retired and living in the Edmonton area, I have focused more on collecting and restoring older bikes. My first collector bike purchased in Can-ada in 1985, was a 1975 750cc Triumph Trident, in very rough condition. I restored it and still have it as part of my 15-bike fleet. My current collection includes Triumphs, Nortons, a Royal En-field, Kawasaki W650, Yamaha MT 01, Honda CBX, BMWs, and a 1950 Sunbeam S8. The oldest is a 1935 Triumph Tiger 70, which is still in great condition. The Sunbeam belonged to my father, who had it since the 1960s, and I managed to bring it over, along with a few others, from England during the last ten years.

My passion for restoration

comes from my enjoyment and satisfaction of seeing a machine come back to its original glory. The scent of grease, lubricant, gasoline, internal combustion and old leather, as well as the unique notes from the exhaust pipes, all invoke memories of simpler times and propels my desire to preserve these old beauties.

It would be fair to say that I have owned, enjoyed and sold hundreds of bikes over my years of being an enthusiast. If asked what my favourite one was, I would have to say it’s the one I am restoring, working on or riding at the moment the question is asked. I must confess, however, that I am more than partial to the colour yellow. As for my own weapon of choice, after years of riding, I have settled on a BMW R1200 GSA as my preferred ride. It is com-fortable, quick and can handle whatever road I throw at it.

The biggest challenge I have with collecting is storage space. My wife of six years, Debbie, has graciously allowed me to put five bikes in our walk-out basement. I am happy that she enjoys rid-ing as my passenger and shares my enthusiasm for collecting. I feel privileged to have custodial ownership of these bikes and be a temporary keeper of motorcycle history. I hope that one day the next generation will enjoy them as much as I do.

Top left: On the road with a BMW R1200 GS. Below: a few of Kevin’s bikes and a shot of him working on his 1935 Triumph T70 Tiger.

57

CRAFTY CANADIANS

HISTORIC RENOVATION

It was the spring of 2004when I received a call from my very excited husband, “Sue, you’ve got to come

see this!” Al had found a build-ing for sale that interested him. We had discussed the idea of purchasing a “fix ‘n’ flip” property for years. Immediately I went to take a look‚ the vibe was good—I saw the possibilities and we privately purchased the building. The Pacific Grocery Store was built in 1923 and located on the north side of Lethbridge.

Most people politely held their tongues, but some couldn’t help themselves. Al’s mother said, “Oh Al, what have you done?” and my sister asked, “What did you buy this for?” Admittedly, it was a dump. The building was boarded up and the yard overgrown with waist-high weeds. The building had only 40-amp electrical ser-vice, no hot water, no kitchen, no bath-rooms and only two water taps—but the old store had great bones. This place was solid and we had ideas.

In the ’20s it was common to build a small home at the back of the lot and live there until you could afford to build a bigger home at the front. These small homes were called miner’s shacks. Lethbridge was for-merly a large coal producer, so mining was an important industry then. We preserved the miner’s shack on the property and now use it as a garden shed; it is one of the last standing miner’s shacks in Lethbridge. It

has only two rooms and other than a new roof and paint, it is entirely original.

We are not renovators nor contractors, but we are hard working and creative. In turning the old store into a home, we did most of the work ourselves, but we also knew when to hire qualified trades peo-ple. The basic floor plan was kept intact, with only two walls erected to create needed spaces. The original store area was turned into a great room housing the kitchen, dining room, front entry and liv-ing room. This space had shelves on three of the four walls, many of which were re-moved, but some were preserved to create kitchen cupboards and a bookshelf. Wood was saved from a small doorway that was opened up to create a large archway and the wood was then used to create cup-board doors for the kitchen.

Clockwise from top right: Al’s handcrafted stained-glass panel graces the backyard; a view of the renovated housefront; the sunroom in the backyard; Al and Sue in the “great room” with Al’s art; the miner’s shack, now a garden shed; the original Pacific Grocery Store.PHOTO: PACIFIC GROCERY

STORE COURTESY GALT

MUSEUM & ARCHIVES

Putting artistic talent to good use

in the name of preserving

a piece of local history

by Susan Lillemo, Lethbrige, Alta.


A workbench from the basement was fashioned into a kitchen island. At every op-portunity we reused materials, whether they were from the store itself or found at garage sales and second-hand stores.

There was much curiosity as to what we were doing with this old store. We had many visitors and heard a lot of confes-sions about candy theft as children when the store was in operation. An item of no-toriety, this store was the scene of the first recorded armed robbery in Lethbridge!

Al is an artist at heart and has created pieces using many mediums. He installed a metal gate at the entrance to the court-yard; this gate is now all stained glass. He

created another large stained-glass proj-ect at the waterfall end of the pond—a pic-ture of Alberta—this door moves over the opening to the backyard to create privacy for a large fire pit.

Inside, our home is graced with his clay and bronze sculptures, encaustic paintings as well as a soapstone and bronze wood burning stove. My contributions are hand-made quilts, window coverings, upholstery and wall hangings.

Al does the landscaping in the yard. I’m in charge of the plantings.

So, we broke every rule of a “fix ‘n’ flip” and we’ve been here 16 years now. It’s a team effort and has been from the start. ■

59

Blue Bird of HappinessA loving tribute to a budgie named Freddy—gone now

but not forgotten by Jeanette Cross, Regina

THE WAY IT WAS

In 1978 I brought home a bluebudgie for my daughter, Elaine, for her birthday. Elaine called

this blue bird Freddy because at this time we had a hired man called Fred who Elaine liked very much. As Freddy matured, we could see that she was female but so what, Freddy can be short for Fredericka.

Freddy proved to be a very lov-able little pet, but she was also full of mischief. As I worked around the house, she would sit on my shoulder and talk to me with her budgie sounds, which I loved. I would always be sure to have my hearing aids in my ears so I could hear her better. Mind you, at times she could be quite noisy, squawking loudly when she was excited or angry. Then we wished she’d be quiet. When I’d lean over, Freddy would sometimes walk down my back and sit on my rear end! When I stood up, she would have a long, steep climb up my back to my shoulder again. Sometimes she would perch on my glasses or others’ heads!

Judy, another of my daughters, is afraid of birds and was one who didn’t appreciate Freddy. She would put on a hat when I let the bird out of its cage as she was afraid that Freddy would land on her head. Freddy knew Judy was afraid of her and would swoop right towards her and fly over her head!

My husband Lane couldn’t get over how much Freddy trusted us. If I didn’t want her on my shoul-der any longer, I would take my

hand and push her off. She would just fly around in a circle and land back on my shoulder. She never had any fear that I would hurt her.

When Elaine was home and practising the piano, Freddy often sat on her shoulder to keep her company. I’ve no doubt that she sang along with the piano, but I wouldn’t know as I couldn’t hear her without my hearing aids.

To me it was always interesting to watch Freddy preening herself. She would work her beak through her feathers. Budgies have an oil sack just above the tail. Once in a while she would rub her head in this oil sack as part of her preen-ing. She would also scratch her neck with her foot and her foot would move so fast you could hardly see it! Watching her do all this had a relaxing effect on me.

Naughty Birdie!Now for the mischief! There wasmuch of this nearly every day. Her favourite was getting into my plants. With the large ones she loved sitting on the branch-es and sometimes would chew on the leaves. Then she loved to draw attention to herself and make a mess by digging in the pot, sending dirt flying all over! I thought I could remedy this by gathering stones from the crushed rock in the driveway and setting it on top of the dirt. Sure-ly she couldn’t pick up stones to throw out? Well maybe not, but it didn’t stop her from using her handy little curved beak to push them to the edge of the pot and

then right over the edge! One of the plants was in a planter over the kitchen sink. Imagine the racket made by these stones hitting the sink!

One night I was trying to relax in the living room by reading a book. Freddy decided I should be paying attention to her so she went to work on one of the plants hanging in the living room. As usual dirt went flying! I took a piece of cloth and pinned it around the plant. Freddy gave me a look that said, “You can’t fool me!” She climbed to the bottom of the cloth and went under it! Then I put another pin at the bottom of the cloth. I got another one of those looks and she climbed through a space in the cloth that wasn’t pinned. In went another pin! Company arrived, so Freddy gave up and finally went into her cage at which point I immediately shut and fastened the door!

Another time, I was making a stew for supper. After having simmered the meat, I was cutting potatoes and carrots into it. Fred-dy was sitting on my hand watch-ing all this when she decided to jump into the pot! Fortunately for her and us, she landed on some vegetables that happened to be sitting on top of the stew so she wasn’t hurt.

Trying to do a jigsaw puzzle was quite a process with Freddy around. She delighted in picking up the pieces in her beak and running to the edge of the table to drop them on the floor. This also happened if you decided to IS

TO

CK

PH

OT

O


play solitaire with a deck of cards. This was more difficult for her as she had to hold her head way up high to carry the card. Also she wasn’t able to see where she was going, so one time she got to the edge of the table before she realized it and started to fall. Of course, being a bird she could just up and fly away. She was rather surprised by it all though, and didn’t let go of the card until she was halfway to the window that she was heading for.

Still another time, I had left a saucer of butter sitting in the sun that had started to melt. I was sitting at the table reading when I heard this little thump! There was Freddy on the floor covered with melted butter! She must have tried to take a bath or some-thing. I had quite a time getting the stuff off her, too.

Lost and FoundThen we come to the lake incident. Elaine along with her friend, Donna, and I were staying at a cottage at Kenosee Lake. The girls were there to take swimming lessons. Freddy came with us and sometimes I would let her out of the cage for a break. One evening, we decided to go for a drive. I opened the door to bring in some lawn

chairs before leaving. Unfortu-nately, I forgot about Freddy. She flew onto my shoulder when I was in the doorway. Before I had a chance to back up and close the door, Freddy flew out and away! Oh, how upset we all were!

The next evening, Lane arrived to be confronted with four people in mourning! He told us to put a notice in the store. Being a tame bird someone might get hold of her. I didn’t hold out much hope for this but the next morning Nancy and her friend, Sheila, came down. They wrote a notice, and took it to the store. They found out that someone had caught a bird and took it to the Chalet. Nancy and Sheila went to the Chalet only to find out the person who caught the bird had taken it home. They found out where he was camping and went there. He wasn’t home but before they left, Nancy peeked in the window and saw a cardboard box on the table with holes punched in it and bread crumbs scattered on the table. Nancy said, “Yup,

that’s Freddy!”Somehow they found out

that the owner of the camper was golfing, so they went to the golf course. This man spotted them, and asked, “Have you lost a budgie?” Then he told them he would bring the bird home when he finished golfing. How happy and excited we all were when we heard the news!

Later, when the gentleman arrived with Freddy, I took her out of the box and said, “Freddy, you bad girl, just what did you think you were doing?” I asked the man how he caught her as she doesn’t just let you grab her. He told us how he’d been golfing the morning after Freddy flew away. He saw these ladies with a blue bird and he went to inves-tigate, wondering what kind of a bird it was. When he got to them he saw that it was a budgie. Having had one himself, he knew something about them. He man-aged to get Freddy on his finger but when he tried to grab her with his other hand, of course Freddy would just flit away. Then he got her on his finger again but this time he flipped his hat on her to catch her. This worked but he said, “Boy, she sure did a lot of swearing!”

We had Freddy for seven years before she took sick and died. Lane, who always acted like she was nothing but a nuisance, insisted she be put in a box and buried in a special place in the yard. It was raining cats and dogs but the girls went out, dug a spot under a branch of our old elm tree in the corner of the yard and buried her. Such a lovable, vi-brant personality is missed by all of us, especially Elaine and me, but all the wonderful memories remain with us.

61

CURIOUS COWThis is a story that my 89-year-old father, Clarke Kennedy, has told me often. It still brings a smile to his face when he tells it.

When he was quite young, he lived with his parents andsisters in a small place called Boulter, Ont. Across the road was an old log home that no one had lived in for a long time,which was now completely deserted. Dad’s family had once lived in the log house before his father built the place they were living in at the time of this story. It was a two-storey log home that was always referred to as “The Demerell House.” It was a good house in its day. The logs were dovetailed, and it still looked sturdy.

The old house may have been deserted, but the owners used the property to pasture their Holstein dairy herd.

My dad, who was seven years old at the time, was walking to his grandmother’s, and as he passed the Demerell house,

he looked up and saw a cowpoking its head out of the upstairs window. Dad knew he couldn’t do anything about it, so he quickly ran to tell the owners.

It is rare for a cow to walk up a flight of stairs, but this cow was obviously curious. Since the average weight of a cow ranges between 1,600 to 2,400 pounds (725 to 1088 kilograms), it is a wonder that the cow did not go through the stairs or the upper floor.

Cows of course aren’t built to walk down stairs. Not only are they afraid to do it, but they find it very difficult. It took five or six men to coax the cow down the stairs. They had to tie ropes around its legs to guide it back down to the main floor. This must have been quite a sight, because it made a big impression on Dad— and later on his family and friends as retold the tale over the years.

The house was subsequently boarded up to keep any other curious cows or other crea-tures from climbing the stairs. Although Dad never men-tioned it while recounting the story, I often pictured the cow sticking its head out of the second-storey window.

Dad still wonders how that cow got up there in the first place!

Betty Moore,West Guilford, Ont.

Editor’s Note: Shortly before

this issue went to press, Betty

informed us that her father had

passed away, saying he would

have been thrilled to see his

story in Our Canada magazine.

FUNNY STUFF

Above: Betty’s son Trevor was inspired to illustrate his granddad’s story.


My husband, Mark, andI decided that leaving southern Alberta for an

adventure to the Yukon would be just the learning experience two teachers on summer holidays needed.

We were fortunate to capture photos of numerous types of wildlife on our journey, includ-ing wood bison wandering the highway near Muncho Lake in northern British Columbia.

Once we were in the Yukon, we were treated to picturesque loons first thing in the morning

on Lake Laberge; a white swan near Burwash Landing; a por-cupine crossing the road on the way to Kluane National Park and a cheeky squirrel just outside a restaurant at Haines Junction.

One of our favourite sightings though was this huge black bear that we spotted just off the road somewhere near Watson Lake.

It wasn’t until I reviewed my photos later that I realized the bear looks as though he is just out for a casual morning stroll, and taking time to stop and smell the flowers.

This classic moment really captures everything wonderful about the Yukon for me. I loved the vast spaces, the long spans of uninterrupted highway and being able to take the time to stop wherever and whenever we wanted to soak up its natural beauty. Without a doubt, this trip put the Yukon on the top of our list of “places-in-Canada-to visit—again!”

It was a truly inspirational journey to a part of Canada ev-eryone should visit at least once in their lifetime! ■

Roaming FreeThis gorgeous bear was just one of the fabulous

wildlife sightings on a trip through the Yukon

by Rhonda Harding, Taber, Alta.

CRITTERS

63

Submit at ourcanada.ca or mail submission to: Our Canada, P.O. Box 988,

STN Main Markham, Ont.,

L3P 0M1.

Our Canada and More of Our Canada

are unique publications in that they are

written by and for Canadians just like

you! Send us your stories and photos

and you may see them published in

a future issue.

CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CANADA AND GET A FREE 1-YEAR GIFT SUBSCRIPTION UPON PUBLICATION!

If your story or photo is published in

Our Canada or More of Our Canada, you will

receive a free, one-year gift sub scription

to the magazine. Already a subscriber?

Have your gift subscription added to the end

of your current subscription or pass it along

to someone else.

TEXT LENGTH Between 500 and 1,000 words

is ideal. Your story may be edited for length

and style.

PHOTOS For digital images, set your camera

for the best picture quality and send us

JPG files. For hard copy photos, send high-

quality prints—copies are preferable;

we are not responsible for lost photos.

By submitting stories or photos to Our Canada or More of Our Canada, you are confirming that you are a citizen, permanent resident or landed immigrant of Canada.

RETURNS We can’t acknowledge submissions

or return unused photos.

Submissions may be edited for length and

clarity, and may be reproduced in all print and

electronic media. Upon publication, original

submissions (text and photos) become

the property of The Reader’s Digest Magazines

Canada Limited and its affiliates.

SPOT THE LOONIE

We’ve hidden a loonie somewhere in this issue. Can you find it? It could be anywhere, but it’s not the one below! If you spot the loonie, tell us in which issue and on what page on a post-card, or in a letter, and mail your entry to “Spot the Loonie” Contest, P.O. Box 975, STN Main, Markham, Ont., L3P 0K7. Or join the fun online by visiting ourcanada.ca and clicking on “Spot the Loonie.” We’ll collect all the entries and have a drawing every other month. The first five correct entries we draw will win $50. Entries will be accepted until July 31, 2020.

For complete rules, write to “Spot the Loonie” Contest, Reader’s Digest Contest Administrators Office, 5101 Rue Buchan, Suite 300, Montreal, Que., H4P 1S4. This contest is open to all Canadian residents who, at the time of participation, have

reached the age of majority according to the law of the province or territory

in which they reside. One entry per person, per day is allowed.

In the April-May 2020 issue, we hid the loonie on page 24 within the Cause for Applause department. We’ll publish our latest winning loonie-spotters in an upcoming issue.

CO

IN I

MA

GE

: A

LL

CA

NA

DA

PH

OT

OS

COMING IN OUR NEXT ISSUEDon’t miss a fantastic photo essay by Mike Lane of Saanichton, B.C. as he recounts departing from Gold River, B.C., aboard the historic MV Uchuck III to cruise through Nootka Sound, Esperanza Inlet and Kyuquot Sound before spending a night in the remote village of Kyuquot.


EMBERS OF LOVECarol Groeneveld of Tillsonburg, Ont., writes,

“We got our dog Ember, a Portuguese podengo

pequeno, in March 2011. She turned nine last

January. My husband is a firefighter, so that’s

how we came up with Ember as her name. She is

very cuddly, loves to sit on our laps, enjoys long

walks at the cottage and also loves chasing

chipmunks! She likes to ‘bury’ her large chewing

bone all around the house, in every corner and

under the blanket in her bed, always moving it

around so we can’t find it.” Have a great shot of your family’s pet? Send it along and it may appear on this page!

PET CORNER

65

STORYTIME

Once upon a time, Connie the Canada Goosewas busy caring for her eight goslings. All day, she helped them find food, took them swimming near Double Island in Georgian Bay, and protected them. At night, they slept beneath her wings. She was so exhausted that she slept, too.

Her job would have been easier if Norton would help, but every time she saw him, he was swimming about in the open, eating his way across the grass, or strutting along the shore, always alone. Connie would say, “Your job is to help with our goslings, Norton!” But Norton would say, “Not now. I’m starved.” Or, “Later, I’m going to take a nap.” Or “Bad timing—the water’s calling.”

Connie wondered how she could get Norton to do his part, that’s all she wanted. One day when she asked him to look after the goslings, he replied that he was going for a swim. “Perfect,” said Connie. “Take the group with you.” To her babies, she said,

“Go with your father.” She waddled off before any-one could call her back.

Connie fell asleep beneath a maple bush but when she awoke, she panicked. Her babies! Were they safe? She raced towards the shore. As she emerged from the bushes, she heard happy sounds. Norton and the goslings were playing in the water. They were splashing and chasing one other. The little ones honked with delight. Norton was smil-ing as he left the water and waddled up to Connie. “I never knew these little fluff balls could be so de-lightful,” he said “It’s fun being a dad!”

“Being a dad also means caring for them and pro-tecting them,” Connie reminded him.

“Well, that sounds like fun, too,” Norton an-swered. “I can do that. And I suggest that once a day one of us looks after the goslings while the other one takes a break.” And that is exactly what they did from then on. ■ IL

LU

ST

RA

TIO

N: M

AR

ILY

N M

CL

EA

N

Dad on DutyPapa goose learns that when it comes to parenting,

a little help goes a long way by Esther Meerschaut, Harrow, Ont.


A – ACTIVITY V – VACCINATE O – OPTIMIZE MEDS I – INTERACTD – DIET & NUTRITION

AVOIDFRAILTY.CA – TAKE CONTROL

A – ACTIVITY V – VACCINATE O – OPTIMIZE MEDS I – INTERACTD – DIET & NUTRITION

AVOID Frailty

FRAILTY IS A CONDITION OF REDUCED HEALTH AND FUNCTION.

ft@CFN_NCE Canadian Frailty Network

To Learn More Visit us online at: avoidfrailty.ca

Older adults with frailty are more

susceptible to large declines in health from

minor illnesses such as the flu or falls and

are more likely to be hospitalized, need

long term care or die.

However, frailty is not an inevitable part of

aging! There are steps that you can take

to help you maintain your health, AVOID

Frailty and take control ...

2020-06-01 our canada

Documents