Ben and Vi (nee Chartier) Leer moved to Prince George in 2004 from their home 360 miles south of the Yukon Border in northeast BC. They were living and working in Fort Nelson for 32 years when serious health issues forced them to move closer to medical care and the promise of a Cancer Clinic here in Prince George. Ben is now 78 and Vi is 71 years old. Vi explains, "Our move to Prince George was a bit scary at first. We were so used to the wide open country, long days of daylight in the summer and only 7 hours of daylight in the winter. We were a bit isolated in Fort Nelson but that was ok with us. I can remember back when the roads would wash out every year either on the north end or the south end of town and leave us isolated at times for as long as one week. Fort Nelson has a population of 5,000 people. It is a nice town, the people are great (we knew everyone) and we worked together and helped one another as needed. People in the north need each other and the further north you go the more you need one another.
I worked as an agent for Greyhound. We had very few passengers but we sure handled a lot of freight. The bus arrived every second day.
Ben worked in the plumbing and heating business and set up many of the camps for the oil patch workers.
We met so many wonderful travelers from all over the world that went through our area. The ones we really got to know and that we are still in touch with are those that were stranded due to car trouble or bad road conditions. We left a great way of life but now we are here in Prince George and we quite like it."
Ben and Vi have four sons: Ray still lives in Fort Nelson, Leonard lives in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Allan from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta and Bo who lives here in Prince George. They have eight grand children and four great grand children.
Vi said, "One of the first things we did when we moved here was to join the senior centres. We now belong to three senior centres and we love them all. We participate, we play cards and we have met some really great people in the community. We always have a place to go and the meals are delicious and nutritional. My advice is this: If you are new to town join a senior centre, go for a walk at the Pine Centre Mall or the Coliseum. If you are a senior and sitting home alone, believe me there is no reason for it. Join a senior centre."
November Birthdays that I know about: Shirley Bond, Shirley Ankerstein, John Lovett, Wilma Davison, Sheila Wilson, Elsie Christenson (96 years old), David Wlasitz, Gerri Bailey, Lou Veeken, Margaret Toyota, Noreen Rustad, Wilf Howlett, Lorraine Anderson, Christena Benwell, Donna Legault, Sherrie McGraw, Diane Reynolds, Laurence Crooks, Carron Dunn, Ann O'Shea, Maurice Mingay, Karen Foster, Karen Loehndorf, Mario Ossi, Robin Wright, Lois Marr, Maureen Braun, Georgina Ward, Donna Nichols, Jean Harris, Hilda Eshlelman, Ralph Balcom (turning 70!), Roger Lamarche, Victoria Nudds, Lois Power and Mary Kordyban.
Anniversaries: 11 years for Jack and Ev McKinley, 38 years for Dave and Sherri McGraw, 51 years for Frank and Helen Sarrazin, 51 years for Elmer and Maureen Braun, 52 years for Lindsay and Alzora Hick, 58 years for Laurie and Minnie Meier, 60 years for John and Iva Lovett and 61 years for Les and Elsie Goyer.
The craft and bake sale at the Hart Pioneer Centre, 6986 Hart Highway, is on Saturday, November 23rd and Sunday November 24th from 9 am to 4 pm. Table rentals: $10.00 per table, for more details phone 250-962-6712. Lunch is available.
Bake sale, concession and the crafts and collectable fair at the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre, 1692 Tenth Ave. is on Saturday, November 23 from 10 am to 4 pm. Table rentals are still available: Call 250-561-9381 for more information.
