Agnes Leslie just turned 92 years old and is currently living at Gateway in the assisted living part of the complex and she says she loves it there.
Gateway opened about 3-and-a-half years ago and Agnes says they have everything there that she needs at this point in her life. They have regular Sunday church service and a hymn sing on Sunday night. Agnes says, "I've met such wonderful people here, and all the workers are amazing because they make me feel so special. They all seem to have the ability to say and do the right things at the right time. Many of the care givers have been here from day one and it is obvious that they love their jobs. They always treat everyone with dignity and respect and I think that is so important. The BC Government has gone above and beyond to give us this place here at Gateway".
Agnes and husband Chester were married nearly 50 years before he passed away in 1995. Back in his day he was an engineer at the Baldy Hughes training center for American soldiers. No one knew it at the time but it became known that they were expecting a Russian invasion and they wanted to be prepared.
When she first came to Prince George she worked part time as a court recorder and then moved on to full time work for the BC Government Motor Carrier Branch. Agnes said, "I needed full time work because the children were headed off to university and nursing school."
She had a short hand speed of 200 words per minute and could type at 90 words per minute. Agnes laughed and said, "You had to have the speed but you had to be able to read it too!" She said, "It was not unusual to use up to two steno pads per court case. No taping was allowed back then because they believed that it was possible to tamper with the information on the tape. Shorthand was an art and now it is another lost skill."
Agnes and Chester raised four children and now she has nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Agnes said, "I have been a member of the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre since its beginning 29 years ago. I sang in both choirs and did humorous skits as a member of the drama club. One of my favorites was a Shirley Temple tap dance routine with my good friend Marlene Wenschlag. We learned to twirl a baton and tap dance at the same time. Oh my we sure did have fun!"
Agnes says she is one of the few people living at Gateway that has a computer.
Agnes says one of her greatest accomplishments was being involved from the very beginning in starting up the Fort George Manor. She said, "What a life cycle! We made decisions on housing for people back then and paved the way so they would have a nice place to live. Now, here I am living at Gateway. Someone has paved the way for seniors like me to have a nice place like this to live in. I am thankful every day".
