Wilf Howlett was born in 1919 in Mossbank, Saskatchewan. His father came out from Ontario looking for a homestead.
Wilf said, "I was about 24 years old when I came to Prince George; it was cold and there was lots of snow. I was serving in the Air Force and I came here to work at the airport. I traveled by train and as we came through Jasper it was 22 below. When we arrived in Prince George it was raining and it was freezing just as fast as it was raining. When they came to pick us up they could not get up the Fraser Hill without a four wheel drive truck. That was our initial initiation to Prince George. Upon our arrival at the airport we quickly dressed warmer and we were told that we were to go and sand the runways. They didn't have any sand trucks like we have today but we got those runways sanded by hand.
I served in the Air Force for five years; much of it as a Heavy Duty Equipment Operator.
Air Force pay was $3.50 per day plus trades and rank pay. When Ruby and I got married in 1942 she received $28.00 per month as a living out allowance. Half of the $28.00 came out of my pay. This was considered a fair wage at that point in time.
I arrived in Prince George in 1943. There were a bunch of shacks on Giscome Road and some of them were finished, so I bought one for $75.00 and moved it up to where the green houses used to be. I bought an old second hand truck and I started hauling lumber for 26 different mills. Then I started hauling logs. There wasn't enough work so I went to work for the City of Prince George. I worked for the City for 32 years as Shop Foreman; I got paid a fair wage. Once I asked for a raise but they only gave me a $5.00 a month raise. I was disappointed and was tempted to quit. I went and spoke with the City Manager and eventually was given something more to my liking.
I have three daughters, Linda, Karen and Shirley: Linda worked for BC Tel and after a promotion moved to Nanaimo where she eventually retired. Karen started out helping in the hospital as a Candy Striper and ended up as the Northern Interior Manager of Staffing when she retired. From 1979 - 1987 she and her family lived in Dubai where her husband was employed by Scimitar Oils. When she came back she went back to work at the hospital. Shirley and her husband went to Leo Creek where he worked for Netherlands Mill. He had a boating accident on Stuart Lake and he was killed. Shirley moved back to Prince George and worked for Finning Tractor, Terratech Equipment and currently works at Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart."
Wilf is now 93 years old and he continues to volunteer on a daily basis at the Elder Citizens Recreation Center. For the past 20 years Wilf has had custody of the keys to the centre and he quietly keeps an eye open for anything that is out of place or needs fixing and then makes it right. He says, "I like to keep busy and I also like the social life. It is a good place to hang out and I will always be there to help out where ever I am needed. I have had great times as well as some sad times in my life. My family has always been there for me. We all work together and look after one another. What more could a man ask for."
