Retired Canfor millwright Stewart Law, the fourth youngest of nine children, was born on a farm in Nipawin, Sask. in 1933. It was a big family and Stewart said, "We all knew how to work and we all knew how to get along."
Stewart along with his sister and brother-in-law left their hometown in 1951 with Prince George as their destination.
The trip out west took them south to Montana, west to Vancouver and finally north to Prince George. The trio took this route because there was no road straight west to the Prince George area from Saskatchewan at that point in time.
Stewart said, "In the late '40s there was very little work in Nipawin. The young people went east to Manitoba and Ontario to work in the mines; however I felt that I would rather go west to British Columbia and work for the timber companies.
"Times have changed and they now have great job opportunities back in my hometown. We arrived in Prince George in October of 1951 and I have never regretted the move."
When they arrived in Prince George, Stewart took a room at the National Hotel and then went job hunting.
His first job was at the Hales Ross Planer Lumber Company (an Alberta company) on River Road; the company is now La Pas Lumber.
He worked for a sawmill at Ferguson Lake and then at La Pas Lumber in the Parsnip River area.
He eventually built a house at the Old's Landing site in Summit Lake. He worked on the house while working long hours at a sawmill owned by a Norwegian fellow named Ivor Killy.
His closest neighbours in Summit Lake were the Van Summers who operated River Freightways; River Freightways was in operation long before the Hart Highway was built.
Time went by and he sold his house and moved into Prince George where he started a 25 year career at Prince George Pulp & Paper as a millwright doing mechanic work.
Health issues related to lung problems and a once in a lifetime Canfor early retirement package allowed Stewart to take early retirement at the age of 60.
Approximately 30 Canfor employees took the retirement package that same year.
Stewart has four children; Dean is working for Prince George Pulp & Paper, David is a retired teacher and lives in Quesnel, daughter Kathy lives in Quesnel and Dan works in Fort McMurray as a manager for Suncor.
He has seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, and of course Stewart said, "They are all perfect in every way."
He used to be a part of the Canfor coffee group toy makers that met in the basement of the Hart Pioneer Centre and who have been making wooden toys for children since 1995.
When they were still able to, Stewart and his wife Vivian used to travel extensively with trips to the Queen Charlotte Islands (which is now known as Haida Gwaii), Alaska and the Yukon as well as a drive up the Dempster Highway all the way to Inuvik to take a bush plane on to Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktoyaktuk is located on the north coast of Canada - the settlement lies north of the Arctic Circle on the shore of the Arctic Ocean and was formerly known as Port Brabant). There were trips to many U.S. and European destinations, Mexico to see the Mayan ruins and of course the mandatory trip to the Hawaiian islands.
Stewart said, "I have always enjoyed dancing while others enjoyed golfing. Since I make a poor golfer I will stick with the dancing. My continued lung problems have caused me to sell my home and move into an apartment. I am 82 and I have learned not to take life for granted; I try to enjoy every day as the days go by. I love nature, trees and long walks in the park. Some may not agree with me but I think I have a good sense of humour."
September birthdays that I know about: Christine Hinzman, Alberto Sultano, Rino Fornari, Claude Bussieres, Eva Werlberger, John Werlberger, Roberta Barnes, Ernesteen McNeil, Colin Blair, Vi Merritt, Alan Thorp, Joellen Burgess, Velma Wortman, Karin Burke, Bernice Helsoe, Irene Rigler, Mike Bundock, Len Shankel, Ernie Myers, Vern Wright, Bill Palmer, Mike Padalec, Brian Kelly, Mary Campbell, Ray Lougheed, Anita Robertson, Bill MacIver, Roberta Johansen, Gerda Korolik, Marie Moore, Marie Trew, Linton Walker, Russell Padalec, Winnie Mikolayczyk, Eldie Ward, Mary Dutka, Marie Sumners, Barb Jensen, Kate Ormiston, David Milne, Bea Stanley, Herb Bosham, Raymond Burgess, Avis Cassidy, Dan Clay, Emelia Cote, Leonard Dixon, Marie Harmon, Annetta Harris, Joan Jack, Celestina Johnson, Esko Karlson, Larry Anderson, Benita Karlson, Velma Senner and 96 years for Eva St. Pierre.
Anniversaries for September: 62 years for Rino and Rosa Fornari, 61 years for Jack and Louise Little, 60 years for George and Hilda Lippke, 56 years for Arnold and Leona (Buchi) Nyberg and 42 years for Denis and Shirley Dunkley.
Anniversaries for August that I missed: 60 years for Bob and Marv Nikkel and 56 years for Jim and Noreen Rustad.
