June’s Story

"June Robertson was born and raised in Cumberland, the granddaughter of Comox Valley pioneers. As for many mining families in this Canadian Collieries town, times were tough but good for the Robertson’s.

"I was born in the hungry 30’s, the youngest of eleven children, and got all the hand-me-downs! I remember tracing my feet on cardboard and cutting it out to put in my shoes because there were holes in them. They were harder times than now but they were good times. We used to steal fruit from neighbourhood trees and the policeman, Mr. Martin, had a little black book. ‘If your name gets put in this book three times,’ he would say ‘you are going to prison.’ Well, our names got put in that book, many times, but we kept on stealing fruit!

"Cumberland was great; when you walked up the street you knew everyone. My favourite memories are of life in Cumberland with Tom and raising our three daughters: Penny, Robyn, and Darcy. We do not live there now but we never really left in our hearts. Tom enjoyed golf so much that we moved to Comox to be near the course! We are moving back to Cumberland because two of our daughters are there. Some day Darcy will also move back."

Tom& June Shilton, 2006