A REAL PETE

Jack Charters, a well-known local Writer, offered this statement of respect at Pete’s funeral:

“….To Pete, the idea was an Action Plan and he immediately set out to create what was conceived…”

That is the way I knew Pete Oglow (deceased). No matter how we met as

• A chance meeting with “How are you?”
• A phone call with “What are you doing? Can we you come down and let’s talk”
• A discussion after the many common get-to-gathers at various community meetings
• A social occasion

There would always be that statement “what do you think should be done about___?___” There it was, this matter needed to be discussed. The discussion never ended without an action plan as to what the next step would be.

Yes, I knew that I would get involved in whatever the plan was as Pete asked questions that only a yes answer could be the answer Well you now know the ability of this man to get people involved in doing things he considered important.

There is no intent here to write a biography about Pete but just some glimpses and vignettes of the various events that we had mutually enjoyed over the fifty (50) odd years that I knew Pete and his family as we were neighbors for many of those years. These incidents are not in any particular order of significance nor sequence but only as they come to my mind.

1. In 1969 he met me in front of the Liquor Store in Castlegar on a Saturday afternoon when my guard was right down and proceeded to ask a series of quick questions:

• “Can you draw plans?”
• “Do you believe that a Doukhobor Village should be resurrected?”
• “Would you like to accompany my brother Bill and tour some of the remaining original villages?”

Of course the answers to these questions were a naïve, yes.

“Well Bill and you will go tomorrow and visit Glade, Shoreacres, Ooteschinia and Pass Creek Villages and take measurements”.

There it was, I was committed without too much ado. Slick? Yes, very much so!

That started many years of volunteer time working beside Pete and many other dedicated people to build a full scale Doukhobor Village as a Destination Tourist Attraction, across from the Castlegar Airport.

That involvement meant many years on the Board of Directors with several terms as President. It was a challenge from fund-raising for construction to funds for operation which were much more difficult.

Throughout all this entire time, Pete dedicated his time, resources and money to achieve the end result, in a tireless and a total committed fashion.

There is a long story about this project that deserves a future article in itself which I am committing to write at some time later.

2. The last two-storey unit in the original Doukhobor Village was left to construct and it appeared that all grants and other funding had disappeared. Pete called me in for a drink of Scorch and conversation. “Elmer, how are we going to complete this Village?” It was the drink or perhaps a surge of intuition that caused me to suggest that perhaps a direct approach to the British Columbia government was in order. “You have to go to the Minister involved directly to get the cash necessary”, I suggested.

“Well let’s do it, “Pete responded matter of factly and immediately set the wheels in motion by suggesting “get in touch with them and let’s go see them!”

There I was committed again to an obligation which I could ill afford at that time of my life.

“Pete, I think the Provincial Cabinet is travelling the Province and has a scheduled Meeting at the Inn of the South in Cranbrook from what I saw in the Trail Times,” I recalled.

“Well get let’s go and see them”. The idea and the action were synonymous for Pete.

The weekend that I was scheduled to watch my son Kim play hockey in Spokane, Washington, was now compromised by a trip to Cranbrook and so I made a deal with Pete, that early in the afternoon that Saturday, I would have to leave so that I could be with my family that evening at least and watch a game on Sunday.

We were off on separate vehicles and upon arrival at the hotel, immediately we started the process of trying to arrange appointments with whichever Minister we could. A meeting with the Highways Minister and the Mines Minister were all that we were able to accomplish by 4:00 o’clock but they both advised us that they had no resources for a project such as the Doukhobor Village and we would need to see the appropriate Minister.

“I cannot stay longer. I need to go,” I advised the disappointed Pete.

“What am I supposed to do with these seventeen (17) wooden ladles and one (1) huge ladle which I made for the Ministers and Premier?”

“I don’t know,” I was getting tired and had enough of all this as we were walking down the hallway of the hotel looking for the exit. Just then I noticed the Press Secretary for Premier Bill Bennett talking to someone from Press, of course. I grabbed the large brown paper bag from Pete and offered it to the Press Secretary.

“We are from the Doukhobor Village in Castlegar. We wanted to meet the Premier but were unsuccessful in arranging an appointment. Pete crafted these ladles for the seventeen (17) Ministers and the large one is for the Premier. Can you pass this along to them?” I continued on my exit.

“You can make the presentation yourself at the Dinner tonight,” was the quick response.

“I am sure you have a full program that would not allow for this”, I countered and again, tried to leave.

“You are the program now as our guests,” the quick-thinking Press Secretary concluded. “See you at 6:00 o’clock in the Banquet Room!

“Pete, that is fine, you attend the banquet but I have to go now”.

“No, you need to be here and help me,” Pete pleaded.

And so there we were sitting on this table with a few Ministers and chatting like “old hats” about many matters that were affecting the economy of British Columbia when the Press Secretary stood up and began introducing the representatives from the Doukhobor Village in Castlegar.

“Okay, Pete, you go up there and make the presentation”, I started pushing him when he responded with “I made the spoons but you do the talking.”

There was no way that ‘you can push or pull a stubborn mule’ they say, so I got up with the large brown paper bag and asked for the Premier to come forward and accept a gift. I went on about how at the Doukhobor Village in Castlegar, where the best Borsch was made, and that the Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society (KDHS) is inviting the Premier and all his Cabinet for a ‘free lunch’, hitting on the Premier’s favorite by-line and then offering the largest ladle for him to dispense the Borsch to all his seventeen Cabinet Ministers when they came to the Village.

With smiles abounding, Premier Bennett, responds with “there is no free lunch, Elmer. You know that! So what do you want?” as he accepts the gifts.

“Premier Bennett, the KDHS has one more building left to complete the reconstruction of the Doukhobor Village and you can bring a cheque for $120,000 with you when you come”, I bravely offered the challenge, thinking that I might as well ‘throw the line out!’

“Well there you go,” the Premier responded with clapping and guffaws, etc., which indicated that the assembled group was enjoying all that was transpiring.

I said my adieus to Peter and we parted company at the Kingsgate Junction as he carried on home and I to Spokane.

About three (3) months later, I get a call from the Premier’s Staff that advised me the Premier was going to be in Castlegar and could I meet him at the Doukhobor Village. The man was short on information but I decided to take the positive approach and asked Pete Samolayoff to bring his Stanley Humphries Youth Choir out along with Pete.

Yes the Premier did bring a cheque in the amount of $120,000!

Another example of Pete taking the ‘idea as the action’!

3. Another time Pete just broke out in conversation, “Elmer, we need to pave the access roads at the Village. There is no way that a Tourist Attraction can be operated in the horrid conditions of the access roads along with the dust. Something needs to be done!” This was typical with Pete. There is the situation and so there needs to be some action right now and in his mind, the action must take place.

“I hear that the Highways Minister Alex Fraser is coming to the Kootenays. Maybe I could convince him to drop in to the Village”, again I naively was being brought in by this man.

With a bit of good fortune and some finesse, I was able to convince Fraser’s Staff that it was absolutely imperative that Fraser, his Deputy Minister and entourage drop into the Doukhobor Restaurant for a bowl of Borsch before they fly off back to Victoria that day.

So it came to pass that the two men and Don Muirhead, the local Highways Manager were provided with the hospitality of fresh Borsch and home-made bread from Harry and Vera Voykin and the ‘chit-chat’ carried on with the wise Alex suggesting that there as more to this than a social call. “Did you lose the shocks on the car on your way in” I started?  “Rather a decrepit exposure for a Provincial Tourist Attraction isn’t it?” I carried on.

“What’s involved?” Alex threw it back at me between buttering the bread and wiping his lips.

“The entire collection of roads need pavement, all the way around the Kootenay Gallery and Doukhobor Village would be just fine,” I responded. “Might as well go for the works rather than piece-mealing the request”, I thought.

Alex turned to Muirhead and asked if he has any excess asphalt ‘kicking around’.

“You’re the Boss,” Muirhead responded. “If I am supposed to have excess asphalt, than I will certainly ensure that I have,” he ended.

“Well see what you can do,” relied Alex and his Deputy as they stood up and took the brown paper bags, accepting the customary Doukhobor hospitality, by taking a loaf of bread and a quart of Borsch home to their families as souvenirs and off they flew.

The roads got paved and Pete went from the idea to the action.

4. Pete was a very religious man and followed the Doukhobor Philosophy diligently and faithfully. He also believed in the spiritual leadership qualities in all the Doukhobor Leaders without question.

When the Land Question was finally settled and the British Columbia Doukhobors could purchase the confiscated lands from the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood (CCUB) during the imposed foreclosure by Northwest and Sun Life Trusts of 1939.  In the late 1950s and 1960s, substantial blocks of land were set aside for future partition, disposition and purchase by Doukhobors.

John J. Verigin Sr., the then Leader, had asked certain select Doukhobors, in various parts of the Kootenays and Boundary, to ‘hold’ some large parcels pro tiem (for a time) until the necessity would present itself for future Doukhobors to purchase. Such parcels were under the trusteeship of the Voykin / Diekoff families in Pass Creek, the Kabatoff family in Oostechinia, Pete Oglow for over 900 acres (Blahadnatniya or Champion Creek) and various families in the Boundary area.

True to his dedicated beliefs, Pete faithfully paid the taxes on his responsibility (then entire 900 + acres that was the original villages of Blahadatniya or Champion Creek), well into the early 1970s and then went to JJV Sr and wanted to pass over the land to the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ (USCC), the successor to the CCUB. All he wanted was the value of taxes paid as well as other expenses which was a small amount. After many frustrating attempts, the title finally became USCC and Pete relinquished his ownership, without any other compensation or formal expression of gratitude from the USCC.

The others eventually kept their ownership as their right to sell and / or subdivide for their own personal benefit.

I witnessed public disdain and personal criticism of Pete for this and other unspecified reasons from the USCC which was totally unfair to someone that consciously, met the commitments and responsibility that he had made to his Leader in the traditional fashion.

I found this attribute of Pete something that impressed me and caused me to note this and consider as him as a ‘Role Model’ for my involvements with social and religious matters.

5. Pete was always candid about his birth and enjoyed explaining how he came to this world while his parents and his older brother were travelling on a train from Veregin, Saskatchewan to Brilliant, British Columbia in 1909. So he is still not sure whether his birth certificate should have recorded, Saskatchewan, Alberta or British Columbia and then again, which community or municipality

He would get that funny look on his face and then carry on with his other stories.

6. There were the stories about his early days learning construction from his talented father and other contemporaries. The days in taking contracts to build houses in Trail that included excavating the basement by shovel and wheelbarrow, mixing the concrete by hand and the rest of the construction with hand tools.

Amazing feats now when we think of it!

7. Watching Pete taking the various species of wood and setting them aside to dry in sawdust slowly so as not to check the wood. Then doing the preliminary fashioning, more curing and finally sanding, treating and final polish before the finish product of all types of spoons ladles, various furniture items.

He was especially proud of the tables he had cut from burls with the twisted natural tree trunks that he had searched and found. The special table with all the Doukhobor Leaders embossed in lacquer that still stands today at the Brilliant Cultural Center.

Most of his work was donated to all kinds of events to illustrate to the larger community, the depth and capacity of the Doukhobor Craftsmen.

8. He was an enthusiastic participant in a mission by the Council of Christians and Jews when they made a special journey to the Holy Land with participants like the ArchBishop of Canterbury, the Pope and many other world Leaders including John J. Verigin Sr.

Upon his return, he made some special wooden tributes to each of these world leaders and had then delivered to them by special courier, all at his expense. His message was simple but a somber wish for Peace in the World.

8. He participated in the first major trip of Doukhobors back to their homeland in Georgia to deliver a plaque that commemorated the Burning of Arms on the actual site where the event took place in 1895. This was a very difficult task as the “Iron Curtain” was still in place and travel anywhere in Russia and its Satellites was near impossible. Pete used his own resources and that of his contemporary, Pete Konkin, to make it all happen.

Again, it was just something that needed to be done and Pete was ready to do his obligation to enable a necessary event in history.

9. The Kootenay Gallery of Art History and Science was originally a Federally funded project and named Exhibition Center that was created with the ingenuity of Bill Merrilees one of the Founding Members of the Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society. He had heard about funding for seven (7) such projects in Canada that would display the artifacts from the Museum of Canada in Ottawa as an objection to decentralize and share with all Canadians.

Bill was successful in the original grant, but by the time it got awarded, a few years later, costs had doubled. Enter Pete and his flair for “making something out of nothing” and the challenge was set. Pete was talking to everyone and got the local MLA Chris D’Arcy to work on a grant to get more money from the Province along with many local Suppliers and volunteers and the project got started.

Site grading is very expensive on all projects and it was no different in this instance. There was no budget left but it needed to get done otherwise the total effort was for naught. Pete went to see Mayor Audrey Moore of Castlegar to request City machinery be donated. He now had the machinery but the machinery insurance required City Employees to operate them and there was no funding for that cost.

So Pete went to talk to the City Workers about donating their time after hours and a convincing man he was because soon the job was getting done with the expertise of the City Works crews. Pete would ensure that the Workers all got “treated” royally after their contribution. He even got the Workers enthused to cook hotcakes and a fund-raising breakfast in the end.

What can one say?

9. The Parkside Villa, thirty-five (35) units of seniors housing was the first project undertaken by the Doukhobor Benevolent Society in Grand Forks in the early 1980s. Prominent Directors were Pete Oglow, Pete Bloodoff and Pete Popoff along with several others that did not attend meetings too often.

I was asked to be the Project Manager and get all the necessary work like drawings, budgets, etc., organized along with the tendering process before construction.

It was a treat working with these three (3) seniors as they were dedicated to the end result and worked tirelessly to that end. I nicknamed them the “TRIPLE PETES” as they definitely were a team and fearless in their commitment to success of that project that no end of challenges.

The project was designed for a location just below the Catholic Church in Grand Forks but a rezoning public hearing had residents object very convincingly so that the application was rejected.

Frank Bertoia, the Regional Manager for British Columbia Housing in Cranbrook, decided to take matters into his hands and met with City Council and advised them, in no uncertain words, that they had one week to find a parcel of land that would accommodate this seniors project otherwise it would be built beside the USCC Grand Forks Cultural Center.

And so the story unfolds to a location beside the former Grand Forks Airport on the West side… Although the design was for a sloped site, there were no funds to redesign this project and so the siting on the new site was orientated the best that could be done by the Architect Pafford Clay.

Financing was arranged through the Carpenters Union Retirement Fund under the recommendation of Pete Bloodoff a retired Carpenter. The Tenders were called and Bill Pepin was low Tender within the budget. A second tender, a union bid, was 50% higher.

Then another challenge unfolded as the Carpenters Union advised that their financing would not be available unless the high Tender (Union certified) would get the award. Of course, this was not possible as the budget would not permit this.

Pete understood contracting and union challenges and so the Society became the Contractor and engaged me to manage the construction. Another Mortgage Company was contacted and with the CMHC Guarantee, financing was accessed.

Again, it was Pete who was able to provide the leadership in this first seniors project sponsored by the Doukhobor Community and make it happen!

There was no picket line in the end analysis.

10. The human side and caring part of Pete became very evident when his wife Mary was crossing a marked crosswalk from the Grocery Store over Columbia Avenue to the Oglow Subdivision where Pete and Mary lived. A car travelling along Columbia Avenue accidentally struck her and threw her body a great distance that resulted in many injuries and broken bones.

Her battered body was transported to the Trail Regional Hospital with Peter by her side.

She regained consciousness and entered various times of unconsciousness. It was at one of these instances that Pete asked Mary “are you leaving me?” She immediately awoke to reassure him that “not yet.” Pete never left her side for a lengthy time, assisting her to eat and all other necessary care that Mary was unable to perform herself.

He then continued to nurse her at home until she was able to walk even though all the Doctors predicted that she would not.

It is hard to imagine that a “Macho Man” like Pete would display such loving care for his one and only mate.

11. Pete finally succumbed to old age and had to leave his wood-working tools and love of the wood crafts in his home and was confined to the Trail Hospital. His request to my wife Marilyn, was that she find a picture of Mary and place it unto a necklace so that he could have her close to him at all times.

Marilyn did so and Pete wore this necklace right to his dying day.

12. Pete was always interested in other Doukhobor-initiated projects and assisted to establish White Birch Manor the Lower Mainland Doukhobor Benevolent Society that was able to construct forty-eight (48) units of subsidized seniors housing on 80^th Avenue and 120th Streets in Delta, B.C.

He was very accommodating in permitting the constitution of the Doukhobor Benevolent Society to be used as the fundamental constitution of the fledgling Society.

His continued encouragement was evident when he travelled at his own expense to the opening ceremonies of White Birch Manor.

13. Pete had earlier assisted in helping the Doukhobor Cultural Association to build Rosewood Manor, a ten (10) unit assisted seniors housing project on 2^nd Street in Castlegar, B.C. under the banner of the Doukhobor Benevolent Society

Every way and anyway, Pete was always there with encouragement and advice.

14. When Pete heard that the Doukhobor Cultural Association was considering building a Retreat at Whatshan Lake, Pete again encouraged and gave advice as to how this might be accomplished.

Pete visited Whatshan Lake Retreat several times during the construction:

• Once with John J. Verigin Sr during construction to encourage all the volunteers
• Again with his three brothers, Bill, Nick and Paul, when they all contributed a cash donation of $500 each for a total contribution of $2,000 to the construction

For the opening celebration, Pete carved a large ceremonial serving ladle and it hangs there in the Meeting Room alongside his grandson’s smaller ladle as an emblem of Doukhobor craftsmanship.

***********************End*********************

THE BIKER CEDES NO GROUND

We were awarded the Renovations and Care Additions to the St Mary’s Hospital at Schelt, B.C. in 1988. We were just rebounding after a difficult series of Manitoba projects and were looking forward to better times in British Columbia

Mobilization for this project involved a great deal of concrete forming and no sub trades for this portion of the project were available at the time of tendering and so it was decided that we look to see what was available for labor in this quite community accessible by ferry from North Vancouver. Rumors quickly spread in this close in this small town and soon many applicants came by looking for work. Along with various Tradesmen were some semi-skilled Workers who appeared to be quite capable with the proper crew.

One such young man was showed up on his motorcycle and suggested that given the opportunity he would prove to be an excellent employee capable of doing carpentry as one of his talents. He was “wiry”, strong and in good health and admitted to some knowledge in carpentry and had his own personal tools. So let’s just call him “Biker” for this story.

Biker started right from the first shift as an enthusiastic worker, willing to do almost anything and performed eight hours out of eight hours and did at least his share and more. In my routine walks around the project, I found him always on the job and I was very satisfied with his performance as a team player. All employees were equipped with safety clothing and several workers had first aid tickets as required for small crews by Workers Compensation Board (WCB as named at that time).

Biker enjoyed working without his shirt (it was hot) and preferred not to wear his hard hat (it would fall off at the wrong times he said). I warned everyone that the WCB regulations applied at all times whether an Inspector was about or otherwise and sooner or later someone will show up and workers will be cited if they were not in compliance and the responsibility would rest on the company in the end analysis. “Yes we know”, was the customary response.

One day we had a WCB Inspector and after a time, he came rushing into my office with “there is one member of your crew without a hard hat” he shouted. “That is not in compliance with Section ___ of the Act. You must immediately get this corrected or I will need to write you up ad fine you”

So I just walked out on the jobsite, directly to Biker and pointed out the Inspector standing on the raised driveway overlooking the jobsite. “See that man over there? He has the entire B.C. Government behind him in that book that he is carrying which says he is the administrator of the Workers Compensation Act and he can fine anyone who is not in compliance”.

Biker looked up and shook his right arm at the Inspector after which he put on his hardhat and started working again at form removal. I went back to my office.

It was only about five (5) minutes later that the Inspector came screaming back into my office with “he took off his hard hat again”

“Did you see me talking to him” I relied calmly.

“Yes, but that is not good enough. You employee is not in compliance and either you do something right away, will write you up, was his firm response

So I put on my hard hat and went to the Biker with “now you see that you got that fellow really upset now and he wants to fine you and me. I don’t know about you but I cannot afford that type of expense and so I have no choice but to let you go. You may work to the end of the shift or leave now. I will arrange to get your termination notice and pay from our Delta offices ASAP.”

“You mean that S.O.B. up there has cost me my job”. He was really excited and his looked defiantly right through me as he took turns shaking his fist at the Inspector and talking wildly to me at the same time.

“You were not prepared to comply with the rules after I gave you a warning a few minutes ago and I have no choice now as it is my duty to ensure compliance to the Act”, I replied calmly and Biker began gathering his tools.

The next morning Biker came back to the job and entered my office which was located in an unused portion of the St. Mary’s Hospital basement. He was always the first in to work on a normal basis. This time he walked up to me and said “I just want you to confirm that I am not to go to work today”.

“That is correct”, I replied calmly.

There was a system of corridors and so I was not able to see him leave but the next employee in was excitedly shouting “you should see what Biker is doing to your pickup truck. We need to stop him”.

“You stay here and stay out of his way while I call the Police”, and with that I made the call to the local detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Other employees noted the action to my truck and it was quickly over. The police arrived long after Biker had completed what he wanted to get done to my truck.

So we went to inspect the carnage which was apparently impacted by a large crowbar and looked something like this:

• Both headlights smashed
• Windshield broken
• Both doors with at least one hole through them
• A bent hood
• A bent cab
• A few other dents and significant bruises to the truck body

The Officer asked me for any comments with my immediate answer “where is my new crowbar. They are hard to come by here in Sechelt”

“Do you know where Biker lives? Are there witnesses? Many questions were asked by the Officer and we responded as best we could. I suggested that the Officer be careful when approaching Biker and should have assistance should he decide to go to his house.

A few days later a Representative for the private insurance company came to assess the damage and wanted to know Biker’s address. Like the Police Officer, I warned the Representative about going alone.

The Insurance Company laid charges against the Biker and the court date approached. On the day of court, my employee witness came to me concerned about the threat he had received from Biker. Words to the effect that “he should be careful as to what he says in court!” were apparently said by Biker. I immediately contacted the Crown Counsel and advised him that his key witness was threatened by the accused.

I suspect that had Biker not threatened the witness, he may have got off with a “slap on his wrist” but threatening a crown witness is considered a more serious offense than smashing your boss’s truck. The judge gave Biker a one month sentence in jail for his threat.

The insurance company got no restitution from Biker and I doubt that the Representative even went to see Biker.

I never did get my crowbar back and the truck got all repaired and returned to me in reasonable shape to travel quite a few more miles.

One can take a few morals from this story but until the WCB man showed, Biker was an excellent employee whose only crime was that he would not wear his hard hat.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ End ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FOOTPRINTS ON A TOILET SEAT

There are many stories about men in construction and some of the natural acts that take place. This is only one of those true stories.

Elkford, B.C. was the first of many future projects in 1973 that the Verigin family undertook away from their home base in Trail, B.C. With remote projects there is the need to provide essential comforts for men on a job like adequate washrooms and places to wash up. The camp accommodations were provided by Fording Coal Ltd (FCL) and operated same for all its employees (not all employees had houses or apartments at that time) was available to all external Contractors providing services for FCL and its employees. Since Verigin Industries Ltd (ViL) was building a Shopping Center, Hotel and a 30 unit apartment building, all of which would accommodate and used by FCL employees, ViL crews used the camp as well. The camp had showers, toilets and sinks that were quite adequate but too far away from the ViL construction site for efficient use by employees for other than board and room.

So a mobile trailer with toilets, urinals and sinks was set up at the construction site. Heat was provided by electric base board. Provided that someone made sure that the toilet paper and hand-wipes were frequently checked and filled, everyone was happy.

Elkford is at 4,200 AMSL and winter comes early and so the need for more and more heat in the washroom facility became an issue at safety meetings as the full winter averaging 45 degrees below Fahrenheit became the norm. Snow was getting higher and higher and the path to the washroom door became slipperier and more treacherous no matter what was done to keep it clean.

Soon the washroom facilities became a discussion at the Safety Meetings that was literally the full agenda. You have all heard that story about all parts of the body discussing as who was the boss? Well it goes like this:

• The brain felt that it had all the intelligence and so obviously should be the boss
• The stomach was sure it was the boss as it digested the food, created the heat and nourishment through the blood distribution system and without the stomach, the body could not survive and so the stomach declared itself the boss
• The heart spoke up and said that without its ability to pump blood to the far reaches of the body, no life could be expected and obviously had to be boss
• Then the asshole spoke up and advised the meeting that without an exit for waste, the body would plug up and die. That is why most ass-holes are boss.

So it was understandable that the washroom facility and its operation consumed the attention of management and staff at this jobsite when in December 1973 an emergency meeting was called with the Plumber and it was decided that one toilet (as a beginning) could be installed right away in the basement of the heated hotel. Without further ado, the job was expeditiously done and there was a quick lineup for this novelty as soon as the Plumber declared it operational and before the Carpenters were able to complete construction of a suitable toilet partition and swinging door.

There would be more toilets and sinks installed but relief of pressure (literally speaking) was a tremendous impact on productivity on this project.

Then the Safety Meetings had another issue, there were footprints on the toilet seat. Who would do such a dastardly act?

I made sure that all the employees attended the next Safety Meeting and I paid special attention to everyone’s boots and especially the soles. Yes my undercover work of taking a mental note of the toilet cover seat and its prints, became a perfect fit to George’s boots.

I needed to discuss George’s application for Apprenticeship anyway and so my request for him to stay back after everyone else left was not a concern to George. 

“George, are you enjoying the washroom in the hotel basement” I asked directly?

“Very much so,” responded George.

“Why don’t you sit on the seat as in normal use” I asked abruptly?

George realized that any pretense of innocence would be pointless and so he confirmed with “I worry about venereal disease contraction. I stand on the seat as a result,” he added.

“Well George, I can confirm that venereal disease can only be contracted by sexual intercourse and so would you please stop acting like a Fur Trapper in the wilds and respect the others in the crew” I instructed. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yes” George responded apologetically.

“Now about your Apprenticeship……………………”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++End+++++++++++++++++++++++

THEY DON’T GRADUATE UKANIANS AND DOUKHOBORS THERE

September 1958 was perhaps the most significant time in my life to that time when I walked into the Coffee Shop in Pelly, Saskatchewan to buy a bus ticket to Saskatoon.

“Where are you going, today? “Questioned Charlie Filipowich, the Proprietor.

“Saskatoon,” I replied.

“What do you intend to do there”, his curiosity aroused.

“Well, I am going to register for Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan”, I nervously responded as I was not quite sure about my decision not having even been to that part of Saskatchewan before.

“You’re wasting your money,” Charlie quickly opinionated. “They don’t graduate Ukranians and Doukhobors there!”

I was not sure how to respond to that outburst from Charlie who I had patronized since 1947.

“I am going to find out why not”, I reacted without even thinking.

“Well you will find out I was right”, Charlie took my money and shoved the ticket to me in exchange.

After five years at the University and achieving a Degree in Engineering, I wanted to talk to Charlie and tell him the good news. I wanted to explain that they had even offered me a scholarship for a Masters Degree but unfortunately Charlie had died of a sudden heart attack a year before that.

I was going to tell him “Charlie that is not true. They do graduate Doukhobors there and there were at least three Ukranian Professors that taught me”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++End++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Written January 02, 2011, 1300 hours