“You could always think of something to do. The store had the only streetlight in town. All the kids would gather there at night to play kick-the-can, red rover, or hide-and-seek. It was a good meeting place. There were so many good games and everybody played together. Auntie Vi's, Viola [Broadway] Ganderton was the place to go for the kids. There were always card games and music.

“Dr. McNaughton and Dr. Hicks were the only doctors who made house calls. They sure do not do that anymore. One day my Dad was cutting wood on the sawhorses, with the Swede saw, and he leaned the saw against the horse. I jumped up, slipped and slid all the way down the saw! I still have a big scar on my leg to show for it. I had to get stitches and Dr. Hicks did not give me any freezing to get the stitches!

“We lost our house one winter - it burned down. There was no water because the hydrant was frozen. They threw snow on it but it was no use. There was nothing but a chimney and ashes left. My parents and Bob went to my grandparent’s house and Marilyn and I went to Joannie Ferguson’s, above the store, until we got another house.

“I was eleven when we left Bevan to move to Campbell River. The mine was shutting down so dad and Pete Queen went to up to the Argonaut mine, which was open pit. From there, dad went to the pulp mill.”