Pathways & Crossroads

Margaret was born in Alberta and spent her first 7 years living with her family on a farm near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.

Margaret’s father was a farmer. He raised Clydesdale horses for farm work as well as had the cattle, chickens and garden that were common on farms in the area.

Margaret’s mom was raised in Vancouver until she came to live in Alberta with her grandfather when she was a teenager. She was a ‘city girl’ who wasn’t keen about life in rural Alberta. However, she met Margaret’s dad at a high school dance and the romance that followed resulted in their wedding and building a family life on the farm. Their four children Enid, Margaret, Joan and Jim were all born while they lived in Alberta.

It was during the Second World War and times were tough on the farm. Margaret’s uncle came from Vancouver to visit his sister and her family on the farm. He worked at a logging camp near Pitt Lake and told stories about how much money and the good life that was to be found working in BC. Margaret’s mom desperately wanted to move back to Vancouver and her dad was told that his skill with horses would help him to get a job logging with horses in BC. After much discussion, Margaret’s dad reluctantly agreed to move to BC….mostly to please his wife. So, when Margaret was 7 years old, the farm was sold and the family packed up and moved to Vancouver.

When Margaret and her family arrived in Vancouver they went to live with her mom’s sister’s husband and his three children. Her mom’s sister had passed away recently. So, Margaret found herself living in a house in the city with six other children, her mom and her uncle. Margaret’s dad found a job in the logging camp and lived at the camp for most of the time, coming home on weekends whenever he was able to leave camp.

Margaret was seven years old when she attended school in Vancouver for the first time. One of Margaret’s cousins was told to wait for her after school to help Margaret find her way back home. Unfortunately, her cousin forgot all about this responsibility and went home without Margaret. Margaret had no idea how to get home and no idea who to ask for help, so she headed in the direction she thought she should go and got lost. Her mom went looking for her as soon as her cousin came home without her…and thankfully, did find Margaret before too much time had gone by.

A few months later at the logging camp, a horse stepped on Margaret’s father’s foot and the injury was so serious that he was no longer able to work at the camp. He returned to Vancouver and his family.

While Margaret’s father was away at the logging camp, Margaret’s mom had become fond of her deceased sister’s husband. She decided that she would rather spend her life with him than with Margaret’s father and she told him this when he returned from the logging camp. She also did not want to have to raise seven children (her own plus her sister’s three) so she told Margaret’s dad that he should take Margaret and her older sister and she would keep the two younger children. Margaret’s father adamantly said that he would not agree to split up the children and that she could take all four of their children or he would take them all. Margaret’s mom decided that he should take all four children and she packed their trunks so that they could leave with their dad that night. Margaret did not see her mother again until she was an adult.

Margaret’s dad took his children to his sister’s home in Coquitlam where they stayed until his foot healed and he was able to land a job at Fraser Mills. Once he was well and working he rented a small house on Peterson Rd near King George Hwy.

Margaret’s dad worked the night shift at Fraser Mills. He didn’t have a car so he bought a bicycle and rode it to and from work. Margaret and her older sister looked after the two younger ones while he was at work. Margaret describes her dad as being strict, but that he needed to be in order to keep his children safe while he was away at work…and the neighbours who lived in a larger house on the same property also helped keep an eye on the children.

Margaret remembers this as a pretty happy time of life. She enjoyed going to school at Millside Elementary and loved playing sports. Her family had settled into a routine that worked for them. However, things changed abruptly when a fire claimed their house when Margaret was in sixth grade. For a while after the fire, the family lived with various kind-hearted neighbours. Then they lived on a turkey farm in Coquitlam in a small rustic cabin without a kitchen for a short time. The family who lived in the main house on this property cooked for them while they lived there.

Margaret’s dad eventually found a small house in Maillardville that was owned by a family that lived in a newer larger house on the same property. Margaret’s dad rented this house and he lived there until after Margaret was married.

Margaret has fond memories of life in Maillardville. She remembers her dad building sleds for the children and that they used to close the street down when it snowed so that the kids could sleigh ride on the hill. She remembers roller skating to and from school and her dad having to change the wheels on her skates when they got worn out. The neighbour lady taught her how to bake bread and other sweets. She loved school sports. She says that she was hopeless fixing her hair up though, much to the disgust of her older more ‘girly’ sister.

Margaret had a number of summer jobs as a Coquitlam High School student. She worked at the Distillery in New Westminster and at Delnor’s Frozen Foods. She did child-minding in the summer for families at Pitt Lake. She also worked at a candy store bagging candy…she chuckles as she says she can relate to the ‘I Love Lucy’ episode of Lucy working in a candy factory.

Margaret left high school at Grade 10 and went to work at the “Five to Dollar” department store. Shortly after, she met Bert.

Despite the break-up of her parents marriage, Margaret is quick to say that she had a happy childhood. She is forever thankful that her dad devoted so much of his life to raising his children. She said that while they were young, her dad didn’t go out with friends or date anyone. He was completely devoted to caring for his children and making a living.