_ peacefully Nov. BERT WAS an avid fisherman who could often be found on n the riverbank. Remembering Bert Goulet YVONNE MOEN A TERRACE mayor, al- derman, businessman and fisherman, Albert (Bert) Goulet passed away 23 at Bulkley Lodge in Smi- thers. He was 83. Bert was very active in the community. In 1962 he was elected to municipal _ council and in 1965 he - was:elected Reeve, a po- sition known as mayor “today. In.1996 I had the privi- lege of sitting with Bert to do a family history. Bert was born May 12, 1918 in Biggar, Sask., to parents Leon and Antoin- efte Goulet, hardworking French Canadians who "- operated a general store. They were full of dreams and fired with a ‘pioneer spirit. In 1920 they "sold out, loaded their pos- sessions into a rail car . bound for Terrace with 2- year old Bett... ‘ Their: dream was to : homestead. They settled in ‘what is now Thornhill, but after. two years of hard work logging, clearing . land and fighting the bugs and snow, they moved ‘back to northern Saskat- chewan. Antoinette’s father Jac- ques had purchased 640 acres - sight unseen, He ‘split the property into quarters, giving each son and his eldest daughter a section. From 1922 to 1934 Bert lived in Carrot River, Sask., a small community ‘at the end of the rail line. «~ His parents? Store was the gathering peneral place for the community. It was also where Bert learned the values of help- ing neighbours. He had one brother, Maurice, who was six “ years younger, - At 16, Bert was sent off “to St. Boniface College, a Catholic boarding schoo! where he studied business and commerce, He graduated in 1936 and returned to Carrot River. He blossomed into a baseball player and was invited to the U.S. to play ‘dn the professional tea- gues, but his father -wouldn’t allow him to go. ‘Bert always wondered how : things might have turned out. In 1941, Bert enlisted, He wanted to be a pilot but severe motion sickness kept ‘him behind a desk. He was stationed on the west coast, and later in ‘Torquay, England. After the war he headed _to Vancouver. His parents had retired to the- Fraser Valley. He and a partner set ‘up Harbour Electric, . Bert-ran_ the office, but he struggled with city life. - When he married Patri- ela Hoy, a North Vancou- ver girl, in 1950, he deci- ded‘ to sét oft on another ‘adventiire. by setting up a store of his own. ~In-1951, the 33-year-old . Bert left. Vancouver with his: father and drove to - Terrace. He purchased a “fot on -Lakelse Ave:, next tothe Tillicum Theatre, and built a small stare. With his last $200, he lined the shelves with cans, opened up Bert’s Grocery, a business he would run for 16 years, and moved his wife into a shack next door. Bert was a softie who didn’t like conflict, selling goods on credit to strug- gling families, In addition to community service, he enjoyed late night poker games with the guys and curling bonspiels. Son Greg was born in 1953, followed by daughter Cheryl one year later, and Bert Jr. in 1956. In 1959 he built a new home on Davis St. for his growing family. He lived there for 40 years. The 1960s saw Bert in- creasingly involved in the community. He worked en- ergetically on a variety of service clubs, including Rotary and Kinsmen. In 1969 he opened Northwest Sportsman, and his passion for fishing sent him out summer and win- ter to the rivers and lakes. In 1981 Bert suffered his first heart attack, and in 1986 he retired. He con- tinued fishing, often alone. He underwent several operations, surviving a second heart attack and a stroke. A car accident in 1997 left him in a coma ‘for two. weeks, ]t. took him months..to. recover, ‘but he was able to attend his mo- ther’s 100th birthday. He moved to Bulkley Lodge in Smithers in 2000. His memerial was held Noy. 28 at McKay's fun- eral chapel, followed by a reception at the Royal Ca- nadian Legion. A causal but memor- able service, performed by the children, with son-in- law Murray Wittke doing HELP US HELP KIDS! VARIETY CLUB SH@Wof HEARTS TELETHON Global FEBRUARY 16 & 17 7™ SATURDAY 70 6™ SUNDAY 1-800-381-2040 www. varlety.bc.ca the eulogy, and son Bert Jr. commending some of his father’s life. A video was shown, with some of Bert’s humour, plus a few old friends got up to share a story or (wo. He is survived by his three children, Greg in Po- well River, Chery! in Ter- race, Bert Jr. in Dawson Creek, eight grandchil- dren, one great grand daughter and many friends. Annual General Meeting of the Terrace Public Library Association will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2002 in the Willy Schnelder Meeting Room Elections to the Board of Trustees will take place and nominations for these positions will Ibe accepted from the floor We have trained tax professionals who can prepare even A the most complex @ returns. And since @ they attend annual tax seminars, they’re ready to handle most any tax situation. Even yours, Call 1-800-HRBLOCK H&R BLOCK just plain sman™ H&R BLOCK 410 - 4716 Lazelle, Terrace, BC Ph. (250) 635-2908 Fax (250) 635-5341 HOUSE OF COMMONS Andy Burton Member of parliament Constituency Office 4654 Lazelle Ave. Terrace, 8.C. V8G 156 Phone: (250) 635-1601 Fax: (250) 635-4109 Tall Free: 1-800-661-2208 Ema: andy@andyburton.ca Website: wwew.an yourton.<