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.
- 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.
- 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’!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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 80th 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 2nd 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.
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Elmer Verigin 