Skip to content

Terry Fox Run helps people with cancer

Last week was a special week for the residents of the Tweedsmuir House.
38782burnslakeHugh_Neave
Hugh Neave.

Last week was a special week for the residents of the Tweedsmuir House when it comes to entertainment as we had some great folks come in for the evenings.

The last one was had was K. Shaffer’s niece, Pat Duncan and her accordion. What talent this lady has. She played lots of the old songs our mother used to play when we were kids. It brought back so many old memories to me. Please come again Pat we love you.

A couple of things I would like to remark on in our last paper and the first one is the write up by our reporter on the fall fair and music festival. He did a wonderful job on bringing it all together so well. This wonderful event deserves it all. In the many years I have taken in the fair it has grown into something very special to our Lakes District and I know it’s going to keep on growing.

Good letter

‘Don’t like the new look.’ It seems it’s not too popular. At least this party has come out with her true feelings, good for you. There must be other folks of the same opinions but are afraid to come out.

Yes the main highway through is beautiful with flowers etc. but is it practical? Time will tell with the first heavy snow fall. The writer of this letter to the editor has mentioned how difficult to find parking to shop in Home Hardware. Sorry to say I am now having a hard time to get around and I have a hard time to shop at Home Hardware, it was my favourite store. Another place I find a very difficult time with is the Royal Bank. Being handicapped as I am now I have a hard time to get in. I used to be able to park in front of the main entrance but can no longer. I am not the only person who is having problems with the new entrance. A question and lots of folks ask this one, why are the side streets falling apart? Maybe no money left, could be. Lots of bad holes. I would like to meet Denise Andersen, she sounds very interesting.

What a day

The Terry Fox Run was out of this world. It showed us just how generous our folks are. In the Bible is says “It’s more blessed to give than to receive,” and that’s what happened on Sunday. The tables and there were lots of them, were loaded with so much wonderful things plus all the cooking.

I have no count on how many runners there were but sure was a pile. Although our district is going through a bit of a decline in our economy folks still gave from their hearts as it’s all for such a great cause, a cure for cancer, and maybe some day there will.

The money taken in was $15,000. I must not forget all the entertainers who helped make this day such a success, you were all wonderful.

I have been through a cancer scare and it’s not joke, believe me. This was now many years ago. This was a serious case of prostate cancer and it had broken through the wall. It started out with son Mark and I working on a horse in the chute. I was leading him out and he came up over top of me and left me on the ground. He had kicked me on the hip. My hip was not broken but bruised badly. The doctors here were not happy so they sent me to a specialist in Prince George and he was not happy as he said you have prostate cancer and it’s got away.

The next day Jo, my little wife and I, were in Vancouver General Hospital but we are unable to help you. You will have to go to the cancer hospital in Bellingham, U.S. This is one of the best there is.

The specialist in the Vancouver General Hospital made all the arrangements at the hospital for me and the local cancer society had made our arrangements for a place for us to stay and it was wonderful with such nice folks.

Close to the clinic with well trained specialist with my type of cancer. After a month and a half my doctor said you are cured, you can go home now. What wonderful news that was. I think I had 35 treatments. We made so many friends with both the staff at the clinic and the place we stayed. A big thanks to our local doctors and to our society. The place we boarded at was huge and so many wonderful people but no music so I said get me some song books and lets get going.

So the lady who played the piano gathered a bunch and that evening we had a great sing-song and so much fun. Some years later we contacted the place we had stayed at and they were still singing every evening, I was pretty proud to think I had started something that was still going on and giving entrainment for so many. If that horse had not gone over me like he did they would never have found out I had cancer. I was feeling well, no ill effects so it could have killed me if the Burns Lake doctors had not picked it up when they did.

This was what I call a miracle from start to finish and the strong love of my wonderful loving wife Jo and my family.

A word of warning

Packrats. They are not so big but they can do a lot of damage. They chew on wiring and anything they take a shine to. This year there are so many. One of our friends has trapped 10 and he is finding more. Another friend caught two and the one was almost the size of a small cat. I have heard of a couple of fires started by rats chewing on the wiring.

Years ago I had a little problem with a packrat. I had my taxi in the shop and a call came through for a trip. I started the motor and it stopped dead.

I opened the hood and there was a towel around the fan and generator locked up solid. Took me an hour to get it cut loose, this was a packrats doing. Next morning before starting I popped the hood and there on the block was a brand new adjustable wrench and not mine. It was large too. Next night the rat met his doom in my trap. Where did this new wrench come from?

Time to close up for this week with my usual God loves you and so do I. As I have been writing this column for a lot of years and I do enjoy it all and also the nice phone calls I receive, thank you. Thanks to Lakes District News for their support.