It has been a year of celebration for Eileen and Frank Pighin.
Firstly, they are here for the 100th birthday of Prince George, their home city for half that time.
Secondly, the family business they came here to launch - Houle Electric - turned 50 years old this summer.
Thirdly, and most importantly, they wrapped their arms around each other while their scores of children, grandchildren and other loved ones wrapped their family love around this couple married now for 65 years.
"As of this July we have been in the same house in Prince George for the past 50 years," said Eileen.
Their actual date of union was June 10, marked quietly since it was midweek this year. It was followed later by a giant reunion at UNBC where the bulk of the family attended to celebrate. Frank and Eileen had eight children; seven currently with spouses. They have 22 grandchildren, and that number swells to 34 when those spouses are counted. There are also 29 great-grandchildren.
"It's just great to have so many of them all together," said Eileen.
Despite the swollen family ranks and buzz of activity around the happy couple, Frank still remembers the first time he laid eyes on his future bride. It was on Vancouver Island where they were both born and raised. She made an indelible impression, they would both fatefully discover later.
"The first time I saw her was in the ice cream bar at Island Farms Dairy," Frank said, eyes twinkling, wearing a grin thicker than crme frache. "We just dropped in for a sundae and there she was, and I took a picture of her."
"I think he took a picture of all the waitresses," said Eileen, tongue-in-cheek.
A sundae is sweet but lasts only so long, and their first encounter ended without any exchange of numbers or plans to meet again.
Unbeknownst to them both, they were destined to be in the same room again, though. Each of them was a member of their respective community's Catholic youth group. When the area's larger Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) had a convention, they bumped into each other again.
"We were talking, and it didn't come back to me right away, but as she told me about how she used to work at this ice cream place it suddenly hit me, and I remembered the picture," said Frank.
All that started the initial stages of a relationship. They started dating and after a time Frank introduced the idea of marriage. Eileen said no; Eileen broke off their relationship.
"Frank wanted to, but I didn't. I didn't think we had enough experience in life yet," she said.
It wasn't fate but good friends who played the next intervening hand.
"Our CYO used to go visit people in the hospital," said Frank. "We had friends who played matchmaker on us. They arranged for she and I to be visiting the sick on the same trip to the hospital. After that we went for coffee and, well, we're still having coffee."
Eileen's father and brother were the co-founders of Houle Electric, now one of the province's premier industrial trades companies. As the business grew on Vancouver Island it was felt that Prince George was a logical location for a branch office. Frank and Eileen agreed to move north and help get a satellite operation going here. It was soon one of the most important locations in the company, and remains so today.
Both Eileen and Frank worked for Houle most of their professional lives, only taking breaks for parenting and eventually retirement, at which point they were able to enjoy their company all the more. Those coffees and sundaes are still regular times they love to spend together.
