I was looking for something else and came across this picture of four dangerous young Doukhobor Youth “searching”.
We came to know each other as a result of the Saskatoon Doukhobor Youth (SDY).
From left to right: Keith Taraoff, Alfred Kabatoff, Michael Ozeroff and Elmer Verigin
Keith and Michael grew up on farms near Langham, Saskatchewan while Alfred came from a farm near Blaine Lake. Elmer was an “Easterner” came from a farm near Pelly.
We all sang and socialized in the SDY which was a gathering place for Doukhobor Youth from across Saskatchewan.
At this time I boarded with Keith’s family in Saskatoon and Alfred boarded with his grandparents while the three of us attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Mitch was a farmer then near Langham and drove in to Saskatoon to be our choir director.
This time in the Spring of 1960, Alfred invited us to meet his parents on their farm in Blaine Lake. I am not sure if Alfred’s parents were impressed with his friends but his friends sure enjoyed the hospitality and food that Alfred’s mother had prepared for the “Hoistyee Daraheeya” and ate as only four young men could.
For whatever reason, the four of us liked to sing a happy Doukhobor Folk Song “Paslednee Chas Razlohee”, loosely translated “My Last Hours on Earth” that a young heart broken maiden was singing to her girl friends about her beloved who had chosen to love another and would not even appear at her funeral. The youth of today are missing something……………look at the choices of song that are available for all to enjoy!!!
As you can imagine we would have been a great quartet in singing as well as in play. We managed to entice a few young girls to socialize with us. We thought we were dashing but the opinion may not have been mutual to the girls.
We had many memorable times together and today I am sad to report that Keith and Alfred left Mitch and I to remember those times when we were young and the World was waiting for our contribution.
From my perspective, we earned our place on Earth with the many people we associated and participated in all that we achieved.
Elmer Verigin , August 06, 2017.
Elmer Verigin 
Elmer: what a fashionable group of young men. The straight -up haircuts would be very in-style today. I notice in the background, a structural masterpiece with a lean-too. This begs the question, how many of the Expo units that you were responsible for, includes this distinct prairie feature?
I love this old stuff. Take care, be well!
A stubble-jumper from Saskatchewan
Tony
Tony
One of those essential buildings that every farmer just had to have when mixed farming was in vogue.
I think the Project Manager for Expo ’86 did not know my farmer roots but predicted to Expo Management that that “House Builder” from Trail would be the embarrassment of Vancouver and the Province of B.C.
He also did not know that my Steel Erectors were Crees from Alberta.
So the “unconventional misfits” built the 29 International Pavilions ahead of schedule.
Quantum Physics maybe?
We have fun surprizing people don’t we?
So why did a Ukrainian / Polack from Pelly, whose apprenticeship was picking rocks from the summer fallow, end up being a Geologist of note
Like they say “you cannot tell a book by its color”
Paka!
Elmer