Wednesday, 1 July 2015

CANADA DAY - MISCELLANEOUS MEMORIES

A friend emailed me regarding the fact that today is 'Canada Day'.  I had not forgotten ... only in my day it was called 'Dominion Day'.


I downed tools this evening to take a moment to have a solitary celebration with a dish of ice-cream and some of the Canadian Ladies Club little flags from one of the luncheons. I am pleased to say we have nearly finished updating the CCC Sailing Directions for the Northeast of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland.  That is the old edition of the Shetland section that sits at my left elbow.  (Ever heard the expression "The closer you get to finishing a job the longer it takes"?)  It's true!

Anyhow instead of trying to sort my way through the 'voes' of Shetland I thought I would pull out a few Canadian photos from my archive, i.e. the few that I have scanned for whatever reason.  

This was the time of year in Canada when exams finished in June and we headed for the beach.  Phew ... I spent all my youth on the Shuswap: as soon as school was finished until the day before it started again in September!


Salmon Arm High School Graduation 1962. Not sure why this photo was taken as there appear to be gaps. 


And of course it was cherry time.  Here is the stand on the road in 1973 with baby Kim about 6 months old.  Memories of cherry-picking?  Hot, dusty and cherries went for 25 cents a pound.  As our fruit stand was on the Trans Canada Highway (Broadview Corner to be exact) I recall cars coming from the east screeching to a halt with dust flying everywhere as they stopped, doors opening and everyone piling out to look at the big cherry trees next to the highway loaded with their plump, dark red clusters of fruit.  "Look!  Cherries!"


This photo was taken by my mother in 1948 and shows the level of high water at our cabin at Canoe Beach [50°45'16.32"N   119°14'54.70"W] namely along the tracks toward Salmon Arm from the present Canoe Public Beach.  I was 4 years old then.  I recall paddling around at the back door and going (easily) under a big plank that was situated on the bank and laid so you could get access over to the back door.
 
This unremarkable photo was taken in 1963 in Golden, on the Kicking Horse River.  That was the year the Rodgers Pass opened and, having finished a Senior Matric year, I headed to Golden to work in the Chevron Gas Station cafe at the top of the hill on the brand new highway.  Loved it!  One abiding memory was that 'Abilene' was the tune most played on the small coin operated record machine in the cafe.  Summer job finished, I eagerly migrated to Vancouver and UBC (aged 19) ... in my '57 Chev!


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