TheReview Wednesday, July 1,1992 — A7 Victoria — Well, Canada, here we are, you and I, looking back on a relationship that has lasted for 35 great years. You're celebrating your 125th birthday today, not exactly old as nations go, but not young and inexperienced either. My love affair with you started out with a blind date in 1957. 1 was working for my father’s business on a construction project in Dusseldorf, Germany, when a fellow worker told me about you. He said he had spent two years in Canada, but had' returned just recently because he was home- sick. Now, that he was back in Germany, the ‘homesickness was gone, and he couldn’t wait to get back to Canada. He told me wondrous things about you. He talked of your wide and open spaces no European ~ can imagine. He talked of people from all comers of the earth living in harmony, a stupefying concept on a continent that spent that last few hundred years inflicting untold pain and suffering on itself. He talked of your northern wilderness, of grizzly bears and wolves, of moose and elk. He talked of river-rafting on your wild rivers, and camping out under your endless sky. And there were the little things he thought “worth mentioning, like people leaving money for the milkman under the empty bottles on the porch, without fear of someone beating the milkman to it and stealing the money. Or being able to move from one city to another without having to notify the authorities. To make a long story short, he succeeded in setting me up for our blind date. That same evening, I told my dad I wanted to go to Canada, and the next day I applied for a visa. About six weeks later, I reported to the Canadian consulate in Cologne for a medical checkup and an interview. Did I know anyone in Canada? No, I didn’t. Did ~ I have a particular destination in mind? No, I didn’t. Standing in front of a huge relief map of Canada, the consular employee dragged a pointer all the way from Newfoundland to British Colum- bia and back as far as Winnipeg. “How about Winnipeg?” he asked. “Great,” I - said. And that was that. A few weeks later, I had my visa and a “government-assisted passage” to Canada. In those days, the government actually lent new immigrants the money to come here. The loan had to be paid back within two years. Still in love with Canada On May 27, 1957, I left Bremerhaven aboard the Castel Felice with about a thousand other emigrants from more than half a dozen Europea countries. On the morning on June 6, I first laid eyes on you, and I liked what I saw. Gliding through the St. Lawrence, I saw brightly-painted weekend cottages dotting the shore. Later that day, we Steamed into Quebec Harbour, and I’ll never forget seeing all those huge North American cars, which made the European cars look like toys. Hey, I was 22 and impressionable. The last leg of my journey to the New World took me by train from Montreal to Winnipeg, as unforgettable an experience as any I’ve had since then. Three days and two nights through the most beautiful and sparsely-populated country I had ever seen. At long last, I arrived in Winnipeg, with no job waiting for me, five bucks left in my pocket, and no place to stay: Thirty-five years later, I sit here at my desk in the legislative press gallery, thinking back to that day. I found a place to stay, a boarding house that gave me credit until I would find a job, which I did — laborer in a foundry at 65 cents an hour. That job was followed by a lot of others, including swamper on a Pepsi truck, cab driver, laundry delivery man, construction worker, laborer and then foreman on the Trans-Canada Pipeline. Eventually I went back to university and ultimately ended up in this business — journal- ism. I also got married, had four children and now four grandchildren. And all the while, I have counted myself lucky that you welcomed me and didn’t walk away from our blind date way back then. Sure, I had to get used to your ways. Occasion- ally, 1 would be homesick for the life I had left behind, but on the whole, it’s been a pretty wonderful love affair. : And after 35 years and a lot of ups and some downs, you still look as good to me as you did that day, so long ago, when I first saw you. I know we both have changed. We both lost some of our innocence. You seem to need written confirmation of your worth, and some would actually be willing to divorce you. I have white hair now and may bea little more cynical than I was when we first met. But looking back at our life together, I have to say, I’m still in love with you. Happy birthday, Canada, and many, many more to come. Students send STUDENTS IN Grade 8 at North Saanich Middle School took the initiative to become more familiar with another part of Canada tecently. The students in Mr. Bergeron’s class celebrated Canada’s 125th birthday by participat- ing in a “box” exchange program coordinated by Greyhound Canada. Division 8 sent their exchange box to Prince Edward Island with maps, brochures, pictures, letters and a video tape telling about themselves and life on the West Coast of B.C. The student organizer of the project was Jenny Maddison, with help from 28 fellow students. * O&K ALSO CELEBRATING early was the Royal Bank branch in Sidney, Thursday. Sidney Mayor Marie Rosko cut a 125th birthday cake. Clients of the Beacon Avenue branch received their silver change in commemorative 25 cent pieces, each displaying one province. So far, the Canadian mint has only released six provinces, one per month, starting on the East Coast. The bank ordered $600 worth of the special coins. As well, Canada 125 commemorative coins can be ordered from the mint through the bank. Thursday was combined with a customer appreciation day and also featured a kid’s Canada Day coloring contest. * ok Ox DON’T FORGET the Sidney Days celebrations that started last night with fireworks. Pamphlets with schedules detailing all the weekend events are available at local merchants. ‘box’ to P.E.I. y a 8, ee , ok A WELL KNOWN SIDNEY business turned 10 years old Saturday with a special cake, a long list of prizes and several appearances by guest authors for autograph sessions. Tanners — A Bookstore and More owner/manager Christine Tanner was kept busy all day with the celebrations and her regular duties. Congratulations on a decade on Beacon Avenue. * xk x IT WAS THE SECOND win in ten years for Lorrie Fjeldstad of Brentwood Bay. Thursday she discovered that a Lotto 6/49 ticket matched five regular numbers and the bonus number. Fjeldstad had won $10,000 in the early 1980s. This time, the prize was for $63,065. The ticket was purchased in Esquimalt. - * K * TALK ABOUT PAINT During a trip “back east” we spent a day with Glidden Paint at their factory and distribution centre outside of Toronto. We were most impressed with their quality controls and the research being conducted on new latex products. Glidden’s Paints will be predominantly latex based within the next few years with a few oil based paints available for specialized application. Our other top line paint supplier is of course Ames Paints of Victoria. Their factory is also extremely efficient and after 28 years of manufacturing paint specifically for the west coast, they have built a technical expertise that is available right on our doorstep. Q) How do | prevent paint from skimming over in a can? A) After replacing the lid invert the can briefly before storing. Do not store inverted. Q) How do | paint over creosote? A) Creosote can react with primers producing gas which will bubble top coats. Use aluminum paint as a primer. Q) How can I find a reliable contractor who will stay on the job until it is finished? A) Come and talk to us. We will put you in touch with one of our contractors and we guarantee you will be satisfied. Q) Can I use latex over oil? : A) Yes — providing you prepare the surface properly, but talk to us first! Q) 1 am confused over paint prices. With all these summer sales what am | really buying? A) Check around and ask for prices on top line products then compare these prices to ours. NEXT WEEK: Ceramic Tiles. . LEGAL PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC CARGO AUCTION AT SHORT NOTICE Transferred due to public restriction in Canada Customs Bonded Warehouses UNPAID EX-CARGO CERTIFIED AS HIGH VALUE KNOTTED PERSIAN CARPETS AND ASIAN ORIENTAL RUGS TO AVOID EXPORTER BANK Collateral seizure shipment ordered liquidated to close international long-established Persian Carpet companies high debt and cease operations. ALL DUTIES & TAXES PAID - CLEARED AND RELEASED BY CANADA CUSTOMS through licensed Custom Brokers & Forwarders at Airport and legally ready for public disposal. PARTIAL DESCRIPTION OF GOODS: SILK & WOOL, CASHAN, TABRIZ, MILAS, CAUCASION KAF- KAZ, PALACE KIRMAN, RARE & COLLECTABLE BERLOUCHI RUGS, SHIRAZ AND A NUMBER OF EXTREMELY FINE MAS- TERWEAVES AND 100s MORE! @ in accordance with Canadian "Government Law: each carpet labelled with country of origin, fibre content and certified genuine [4 hand-made. : @ each piece will be auction liquidated piece-by-piece singly to the highest bidder. @ no liens, encumbrances or outstanding charges. @ goods released only for immediate disposal payment & FF removal. AFTER EXPIRATION OF STORAGE FACILITY TIME, BALES WILL BE FREIGHTED OUT FOR PUBLIC AUCTION CONVENIENCE AND LIQUIDATED AT THE: SANSCHA HALL 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney WEDNESDAY, JULY 1ST, 1992 1 P. M. SHARP! | PUBLIC INSPECTION FROM 12:00 NOON | TERMS: Cash, Bank Cheques, Major Credit Cards E If It’s News Call The Review 656-1151