31 May - 02 June - Chilliwack and Abbotsford

We departed White Rock and traveled towards Abbotsford. Mary Lou had work to do and I had blog writing to catch up on so we spent time in the Abbotsford and Clearbrook libraries -- both wonderful places to hang out in.

The Clearbrook library overlooks a monument in garden memorial honouring the women killed in a senseless vehicle tragedy. In their words:

Early one March morning in 2007, three women packed, with fourteen others, into a poorly maintained and unsafe work van lost their lives when the driver lost control on a highway near Abbotsford, BC.These senseless deaths sparked a province-wide review of farm transportation and a coroners’ inquest that gave rise to stronger rules, regulations and enforcement, making farm work safer.

The Golden Tree is a breathtaking representation of the three women lost that day, forever entwined, raising their arms to enlightenment and hope.

The Tree stands as a fitting legacy to Sarbjit Kaur Sidhu, Amarjit Kaur Bal, and Sukhvinder Kaur Punia, and as a monument to all farmworkers who have been killed or seriously injured while working to put food on our table, honouring their sacrifice.

For today’s farmworkers and their families, the monument will stand as a beacon of hope for safe and healthy working conditions in the agricultural industry, and as a reminder of the devastating consequences of cutting corners on safety.

An unexpected gift was meeting up with an Uncle of mine who I hadn't seen for decades. Uncle Bill (88) is in a retirement home so we met him there. It was fun to reminisce and get caught up on family. 

We spent some good time walking and reflecting on a pathway that is part of the Matsqui Trail Regional Park beside the Fraser River. We learned that the Fraser River is one of the largest salmon spawning rivers in the world. They say that during salmon spawning season photographers line the shores as the eagles dive and catch the fish. I would love to be part of that group of photographers!

The trail passed through farmland where we saw cattle, horses and a line of mechanical junk.

We reflected together on how we use vehicles, machines and equipment which eventually gets old and must be disposed of. What do we do with it when its life span has ended? This is in contrast to the forests we visited, where dead trees create new life spaces for other growth.

It was wonderful to spend time with Mary Lou's Uncle and Aunt, Harold and Fern. They couldn't be at their place when we arrived but arranged things so we could walk in and were welcomed with a note saying, "make yourself at home". We were grateful for a beautiful place to shower and do a load of wash. We even watched a serial we enjoy on a large screen!

Fern and Harold returned late that night and found us both dozing in their easy chairs, catching flies with our open mouths. Fortunately we both woke up before Fern could capture the moment with her cell phone camera!

They shared a full course breakfast with us on their back yard deck, surrounded by birds, trees, bushes, rocks and moss. Spectacular! Our conversation was rich as they told stories of some of their involvements as retired folks, particularly how they've been able to collect medical supplies and send them to Ukraine. We were sent off with a bag load of baking! Thanks, Aunt Fern!

A first for us was to spend a couple of hours with another of Mary Lou's relatives, her Uncle David and Aunt Ruth. What a delight to spend time with these folks and learn more about their lives including many stories of a shared history in the same family. 

As we were visiting with David and Ruth, we were sharing some of our "tribal" connections -- with both past and current history in the Mennonite Brethren Church so we know many people in common. We talked about some of the people I knew from my growing up years as an MK (missionary kid) in DR Congo/Zaire and the name Helen Nickel came up. She and her family lived in Kikwit, next to our family. Two of her sons who are close to my age roomed with me in the hostel in Kinshasa.

Through her connections, Ruth was able to get the phone number of Helen so I called her and made arrangements to meet her at the Mennonite Heritage Museum where she volunteers. What a complete delight to see Aunt Helen, who, at the age of 92 was still driving, walking and thinking and talking like a woman of 75 or less!

For me it was wonderful to be with someone who knew our family and particularly my mother from my early years as a child. She reflected on how my mother was such a support and comfort particularly as she (Helen) went through some very challenging times in Zaire. 

She agreed that my Dad could be impatient which led to a story where my Dad had noted to her husband, Jake, that it may be setting precedent to be transporting many Congolese in his vehicle. Jake, in his thoughtful way, had replied to my Dad that he figured he could work the way he thought best and my Dad could work in a way that suited his own values. Helen said that Dad never ever brought the issue up again and actually started doing the same thing as Jake. 

What powerful stories of memories of my parents!

After so many good times with family and friends from the past, we left this beautiful part of BC and traveled three hours to Kamloops where we found a great iOverlander site -- a parking lot beside the Thompson River. We went for a walk along a trail beside this beautiful river before setting up our rig for the night.