05 May - Memories in Meadow Lake

We had to get our vehicle serviced as part of the Toyota Serve Plan so I figured out that I could drop in at the Ens Toyota Express lane and they would do the job. They were down a mechanic so it took longer than expected. They had a good coffee shop so we had a good space to work and research.

We had a wonderful lunch and catch-up time with Don and Naomi Unger, our MCC representatives in Nigeria in the early 1990s who we will make contact with, during regular reunions with other families from that era. They live in a comfortable retirement home and have many involvements. 

Meadow Lake was our next stop. I graduated from Carpenter High School in 1977 after completing grades 11 and 12. This place is a big part of the formative years of my life so I wanted to show Mary Lou a bit from my life of half a century ago.

We made it to Meadow Lake in the late afternoon. The drive up past North Battleford was cleared and "developed" so the scrubby forest close to the road that I remember was no more. Lots of cleared spaces with mobile homes. Very few really "old" buildings.  A quick look at realty.ca suggests you can buy a lot in Meadow Lake for $29,000 and a tiny house for $59,000!

Meadow Lake has completely changed. It was really hard to get my bearings or remember things since the critical landmarks -- school, church, bank, Texaco gas station (Shrigleys)... -- are no more. All the chains are here -- McDonalds, Tim Hortons, No Frills. Big equipment dealers are here. Everything is quite expansive, suggesting that land is cheap. Google tells us that the population is over 5,000 (I remember a pop of 4,000).

Carpenter High School -- They moved it to a different location 25 years ago so it is new. They replaced the old school with a "middle school" and the only thing that is left of the original is the gym.

We drove around and eventually found our house (this is going on a 47 year old memory of where these places are!). I helped my Dad (while I was in high school) build this house:

The old "Centre Street" is still there with the diagonal parking. The pizza joint I used to go to with my buddy Rod, and precisely divide the pizza has been replaced with a Pizza Hut.

On the side of Railway Street where the 8 grain elevators used to stand they are creating a multi-acre development which we were told is an Indigenous, Flying Dust, project.

Around 6pm we drove out to where a former boss of mine used to live and low and behold the sign, "Triangle Trenching," said he was still living in that place! We pulled into Walter and Elaine's property,  parked and I walked up to the door and knocked. Elaine answered the door but had no idea who I was. I recognized her but that was because I knew who should be there. She is the same quiet person I remember. After intros and bit of chat at the door she invited us in and we continued to chat about the past and present. 

I worked for Walter one summer operating a 580 Case backhoe outfitted with a manual extend-a-hoe and operated with three levers and foot pedals (no joysticks yet!). Walter and I did chat a bit about equipment and he remembered this, his first backhoe! 

Walter was out working. Elaine said she didn't know when he would be coming home so she called him to tell him that there were some "visitors" here. He said later when he pulled into the yard and saw our Ontario plates he had no clue who these visitors were. He walked into the house and looked at me but still didn't remember so I explained and then he did. 

They graciously invited us to join them for supper so we did. It was really quite amazing to reconnect like this after almost half a century! It was such a typical Russian Mennonite meal too: Perogies and smoked farmer's sausage!

10 years ago Walter came very close to dying because of a failing heart. He shared with us the play by play story of how he is really a walking miracle. It was written up here.  The story involves an electric heart/pump which he wore for a couple of years; had a heart transplant and then soon after got cancer. They give all the glory and credit to God,. They also had nothing but good to say about the medical system, both in Saskatoon and Edmonton.

While Walter was having his heart transplant Elaine also had cancer and surgery (successfully).

Their house burned down in 2021 so they had to have it rebuilt. They should have died in the fire, but just managed to get out. Walter is still running his business so there was chaos in his yard with equipment, holes, piles of dirt here and there.

It was fun to see Walter and remember various facial gestures and voice intonations that I remember from years ago!

Marianne Vidal (I dated her a bit), Walter's sister, married a Dave and has 4 children. They have been missionaries with SIM (Serving in Mission) in Burkina Faso. One winter Vidals and their family spent in Burkina capping wells....a life transforming experience for their family, apparently.

The MB Church we knew and where our father was part-time pastor is not there. Vidals said it was purchased and moved 50km away and is used by another faith group. We did find a Northwest Community Church which is MB affiliated....completely different location.

Vidals remembered Irene best of our family because she came back to finish high school and stayed with Clint and Lorraine. Then she came back a few years ago for a visit which they remembered very fondly. They said that Zacharias' really loved Irene.....they said her time with them was very impactful.

So that is my Meadow Lake story. I'm glad we made the effort to come up here. Mary Lou really enjoyed connecting to my "roots" -- she expressed to Vidals how I will often talk fondly of this place because it was so formative for me even though it was only 2 years of my life. First jobs -- Texaco gas jockey; backhoe operator; carpenter/builder -- first girlfriend, first pickups and motorcycle...

There was one iOverlander option of a space to spend the night. There was a pickup that drove by every few minutes causing a bit of tension among some of our party, but he left and we fell asleep and enjoyed a peaceful night.