Salt Spring Island Archives

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Hospital OAP Stories

Unknown woman interviewed about her life on SSI, working at the hospital, history of the hospital.

Accession Number Interviewer
Date Location

12B_Hospital.mp3

otter.ai

18.01.2023

no

Unknown Speaker 0:00
Just Stephens was explaining the Women's Institute.

Unknown Speaker 0:05
Tell me what you told me before

Unknown Speaker 0:07
about women. And your your husband said the same for yours for the Institute, the farmers farmers Institute.

Unknown Speaker 0:20
And you went to the women's,

Unknown Speaker 0:21
allow yourself, the Women's Institute to do work all the time for them. Which was most interesting. What sort of work was major work looking? Just in Canada. And then you had a sailor boy.

Unknown Speaker 0:41
And then you had a sale? A manual Sale? Sale of your work to show the workout?

Unknown Speaker 0:49
Yes, used to have a sale. So what wasn't wanted? Anybody learned anything that doesn't want it? Well, let's put it in the series. Yes. Something for us to make.

Unknown Speaker 1:03
And the Western

Unknown Speaker 1:05
meeting, and you took your work to kill Sam as well,

Unknown Speaker 1:10
I said. And then you told me about

Unknown Speaker 1:14
your farm, where you had cows that return

Unknown Speaker 1:18
the wall. Yes. And we took this down because it was only halfway the Ganges. It was a Japanese farm. And of course all the Japanese were sent away. So we'll have this is Japanese were really friendly, because our children that we went to school together. And you know, they used to come to our place because the light from cooking. The news that came down every day when they left school to get something to eat. They used to come around. But I always used up plenty of cake and stuff. I used to joke about every day, because I knew they'll be coming for something. They never let them down. I don't think they Japanese used to make much sweet cakes or anything like that, you know.

Unknown Speaker 2:18
And then you told me you had your own couch that you built yourself.

Unknown Speaker 2:23
And when we left the farm, we're running off into our own home and had two cows and two toes every day. Sanctuaries working with every leg can limit the economics in those days. The cows are mine. I like milking stirred them down all the cows and horses. Could you ride the horses? Or were they were one of them not to drive? Not never went out on the road with him because he wasn't used to road traffic. But we'll take this as well. And I like pigs. And they do so I looked at them.

Unknown Speaker 3:06
And then would you Where would you sell those?

Unknown Speaker 3:08
Where did you sell the pigs? And

Unknown Speaker 3:13
if you add them, the government to those stoves are selling for meat. Yes. Sometimes we keep running naked in the bacon.

Unknown Speaker 3:25
Thank you Eleanor Lloyd and Mrs. Stephens. Mr. Stevens, do you want to sit in your wife this afternoon? And I was wondering if we could ask you a few questions. Now, Mrs. Stephens mentioned Japanese farmers that were here on the island I guess that would be in the 1930s Is that

Unknown Speaker 3:51
really all into question in the world now and that whole chicken so that's how I came in come back with them so much was because I was counting eggs to the motor, same station, and I had all that stuff. So many of our eggs came through our greenhouse supplies were mainly shipped off the island apart from one of the stores.

Unknown Speaker 4:28
So you were claiming eggs in 1930 years. Many chickens on 1000s upon

Unknown Speaker 4:37
for instance, classes, poultry, and 4000 chickens. That was only one time on the island. So what about all the balance over? Yes, I heard

Unknown Speaker 4:50
the passions that we build

Unknown Speaker 4:53
and I add my two cents because my cat was my See how much it is? Suppressing tokens? I have 90 cents per bird. So when you know that would come into the present day prices

Unknown Speaker 5:12
correlate, I understand you were one of the first people that were in the telephone company. Isn't that interesting? And Dorothy Irwin,

Unknown Speaker 5:21
when did I start working for the I started in about 4949. And Cora was already it was already there. I went to Cara. And then the long time we worked side by side, she used to do long distance worked and I, the local people, we used to know everybody and the phone number in those days didn't because

Unknown Speaker 5:44
I knew a lot of the secrets to a no, we're

Unknown Speaker 5:47
not going to admit that. And then call went on to doing being the night operator. She used to come in at 11 o'clock at night and stay until seven o'clock in the morning. And you couldn't go to sleep because they told you twice during the night from Victoria. And you never knew when the call was going to come through. And this is when Todd got through a tremendous amount of handicraft just to keep yourself awake. Sometimes he wouldn't have more than one or two calls all night long sometimes you'd be awfully busy wouldn't to

Unknown Speaker 6:24
where was the telephone or historic

Unknown Speaker 6:27
little building right

Unknown Speaker 6:28
behind the SIP thank you little tiny building there

Unknown Speaker 6:34
and you lived writing

Unknown Speaker 6:37
she lived in a little house next to her library and she used to be a great bridge player she didn't marry leads into great Bridgespan this girl was you live running down she's same street Yes. So you were neighbors for years and now I longtime she found herself her husband Her name was Cora fab before then she man Charlie Leggett who was a tremendous boat builder wants to build beautiful boats. Thank you

Unknown Speaker 7:12
Cara leggett and Dorothy.

Unknown Speaker 7:18
dictating

Unknown Speaker 7:20
Do you mind telling us this morning a bit about when you lived in the prairies? You lived in the first hill in the Robertson country?

Unknown Speaker 7:32
How far would it be?

Unknown Speaker 7:34
Low 60s From

Unknown Speaker 7:37
now what type of cattle did was eat cattle? Beef cattle?

Unknown Speaker 7:44
Know when did you leave the prairies? What year did you come to Salt Springs? 3636. Oh, you've

Unknown Speaker 7:51
been here a long time.

Unknown Speaker 7:54
And you've been living on you had your home a nice hill. Is that right?

Unknown Speaker 7:58
Yeah, brought a place there.

Unknown Speaker 8:05
Whereas the foot earlier for cattle.

Unknown Speaker 8:11
And so there would be not much mixed farming in the foothills. Great,

Unknown Speaker 8:15
great pasture country. The finest pasture country in the world.

Unknown Speaker 8:24
It's certainly very famous.

Unknown Speaker 8:28
When the oil fields

Unknown Speaker 8:29
for oil fields are right there, right in

Unknown Speaker 8:32
the cattle country. And so quite a bit of the cattle country uses

Unknown Speaker 8:39
this rather interferes with branching I guess.

Unknown Speaker 8:43
They make a mess the leaders stuff around littered around pipes in their rooms and

Unknown Speaker 8:51
make a general mess. In there, they're the pipelines and the flares. And they're really a nuisance to rancher tomorrow or oil wells and come in place. Or worse off the

Unknown Speaker 9:12
drink. Really like to find out a little bit about your music side of your life. Now,

Unknown Speaker 9:18
I know you've played the guitar. Could you tell me a bit about your music in the past?

Unknown Speaker 9:26
Well, I've played in the TV in Victoria for an outfit over there.

Unknown Speaker 9:41
Did you get paid as a guest on the show? Did you? Yeah, I see. Now were you playing the guitar when you were renting?

Unknown Speaker 9:50
Oh yeah.

Unknown Speaker 9:53
When I was dancing, I was playing guitar all the time in a local orchestra

Unknown Speaker 9:59
and then when I heard that you were playing in Hawaii at one time is that right?

Unknown Speaker 10:03
Well I played there three weeks for two seasons like to to visit remade over there. No other time we played through stuff we play free gratis more or less.

Unknown Speaker 10:20
Oh, what a nice way to spend a holiday doing what you like in such a gorgeous setting

Unknown Speaker 10:28
for about six weeks

Unknown Speaker 10:29
on Saltspring Did you were playing with a

Unknown Speaker 10:32
group of more boys

Unknown Speaker 10:35
the molten boys and where did you play when you were playing with

Unknown Speaker 10:40
different halls here in Manhattan Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 10:49
and I have our Fulford Hall.

Unknown Speaker 10:52
Did you ever play in Beaver point?

Unknown Speaker 10:55
Yes. Seems to be the whole it's most leading the center hall. Did you hear oh, yeah, so it's great. All isn't really nice. Yeah. So did you pay for it as a dance band? Yes.

Unknown Speaker 11:13
Lady Lala wedding dance. You know where their wedding?

Unknown Speaker 11:19
And then the reception after would be

Unknown Speaker 11:22
Nora you were a farmer to maybe you Indic would like to talk about farming?

Unknown Speaker 11:27
Well, ours is the Fraser Valley Farm we had dairy cattle in the Fraser Valley they're very much different to your cattle in the prairies. Aren't they? Your beef cattle those guys posted your haptik

Unknown Speaker 11:46
for posts I don't know is only about about two or two sections

Unknown Speaker 11:59
was tiny next to that we had 40 acres but recent melt into Vancouver to the Fraser Valley all the time has been a lot of faster you see yes you would have

Unknown Speaker 12:13
got a section own in fact

Unknown Speaker 12:16
just in pasture alone. Oh boy. I hate to have to cut that and when it came Hey time

Unknown Speaker 12:23
we don't hate it oh you wouldn't have broke below eight we put up a lot of aid

Unknown Speaker 12:29
in the other because we got over the winter

Unknown Speaker 12:32
you still have capital on it now. My son was revenue good and I make it keeping going

Unknown Speaker 12:46
Billy got it all seated all put in hey now police fucking cop right now. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 12:56
those lovely green feet they they aid back you know

Unknown Speaker 13:02
Oh good. Thanks Nora Chester and Deke Damon. It's January the 26th and we're going to spend a little time now in extended care it's Wednesday afternoon and that means that Margaret Mulder will be playing the piano and will join in the same.

Unknown Speaker 14:26
bicycle built for two Okay. Was that bicycle built for to go back Daisy Daisy

Unknown Speaker 14:42
Daisy they come on now.

Unknown Speaker 14:59
Oh

Unknown Speaker 15:49
my god

Unknown Speaker 15:57
that was beautiful

Unknown Speaker 15:58
oh yes very nice

Unknown Speaker 16:01
and like you liked it

Unknown Speaker 16:06
I remember Amy's

Unknown Speaker 16:09
beautiful song Oh let's see I got a lovely bunch of

Unknown Speaker 16:19
words you know the words to its own Yes dear Thank you

Unknown Speaker 16:57
coconut

Unknown Speaker 17:07
Oil never have any words to that don't you?

Unknown Speaker 19:05
Right Morning

Unknown Speaker 20:00
Have you been in Canada Mrs. Evans?

Unknown Speaker 20:05
I've been in 61 years 61 years

Unknown Speaker 20:09
61 years have you been on salt spring?

Unknown Speaker 20:13
So spring oh well all that time except in two years really? Yes we went to Dunkin in and then for two years now we came back we want to be back on false we come back I remember

Unknown Speaker 20:29
the first time I met you it was when your husband was looking after animals

Unknown Speaker 20:34
all we asked he done all the battery world count here for the party. He has more than that really is because he wasn't a qualified but it was a good man.

Unknown Speaker 20:45
Oh, yes. You lived on Rainbow Road.

Unknown Speaker 20:49
Yes, all the time. I guess we bought that place. I'm going bald men. Duty was born on Salt Lake Worth two years. All of them students, Marguerite and Alan salts. Please

Unknown Speaker 21:05
say your four generations now.

Unknown Speaker 21:07
I got four great grandchildren. Where were you born? Mrs. Evans? Is mo Newcastle in England. In England.

Unknown Speaker 21:19
Have you been back to visit?

Unknown Speaker 21:21
I will never been back for the visit. No regrets. Well, I got nothing to go back for you see? No. I'd like to go back through you know, just to see where I've been and all that. With all my family have gone. I got one younger sister. They Well, she's the youngest of the hall gone.

Unknown Speaker 21:41
And it's your sister living in New Castle still?

Unknown Speaker 21:45
No, she's living in? I think red curtain in Yorkshire some?

Unknown Speaker 21:49
Yes. Yes. You were telling me about the new bus they have at the hospital now.

Unknown Speaker 21:57
minibus? Yes. We've been out three times. And where did you go the first time we went to the normal thing? Well, I said to see if I got cut off the car. No, I wouldn't know where I was assaulted. So you've changed and then the next time we went to fulfill all the changes in really see a lot of changes in 60 years, you know, oh, you knew all the cars and all. Everybody didn't have because they had went on horseback, you see.

Unknown Speaker 22:29
Did you go by horseback? Oh, I've

Unknown Speaker 22:31
done a lot of idling. Yes, yes. We lived up on Bullock's place when we first came when I first came out. You see what's your husband working? He was working Mr. Bullock's. And the same for me from England. Make him out Jesse. We found Mr. Bullock's police wheel on there for three or four years. Daisy was born when we were on will explain your see.

Unknown Speaker 22:56
And did you work Mr. Bullock's to when he ran the

Unknown Speaker 22:59
farm for listable? Like I know, I didn't get my husband. Yeah, he ran the farm.

Unknown Speaker 23:06
You lived in Little House on

Unknown Speaker 23:09
the house. When I he said he'd build me a house when I came out. If I liked the country, but he wasn't spending money in July. See, he built me a very nice house. It's the family on Rainbow Room.

Unknown Speaker 23:29
Thanks for talking to us, Mrs. Evans.

Unknown Speaker 23:32
And exteriors would like to tell us about we just invited me to come up to the table and stay in a little peace movie right now, we are watching Mr. Walter breathe and to run this subtle range. I've done it many years. And the reason is because he said he wanted to be the last to tell a story. So it must be a good one. So I'm signing out with a one first, if you're all listening. I was about four, eight, between eight and nine years old in England. staying with a friend and the new kind of very what you would call a new cost people what they were out. And they were expecting the archbishop to come and the young lady's mother and prepare on a lovely key, you know, maybe you might have used to captivity and everything. You just said the maids were busy and she was going to give us a great treat are both the same age, same age as me. So that we're going to have to open the doors in the arch disciplinary case. And we practice for about a month to go and say Yes, My Lord and My own mother said, she says, Don't forget, whenever you dress, the clumsy because he's high up, you must say Milan and bend your knee. So we waited, we waited till the maid came. And there was no knock at the door. Eventually, about 10 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. So we both rushed together and it was her house. She pushed me out of the way, also. And this time this came in. He looked around and I took his little you know, the world was beautiful payment isn't that long time ago

Unknown Speaker 25:45
and he turned around and looked around the signal. This is beautiful. He said it should markable what young people

Unknown Speaker 25:51
can do.

Unknown Speaker 25:54
Human gear.

Unknown Speaker 25:56
So she stammered in touch. Oh my God I need

Unknown Speaker 26:12
to go.

Unknown Speaker 26:30
I love to listen very closely, because this is true. And I think it's a story I've ever had in my life. This is sent down.

Unknown Speaker 26:44
Oh, this happened to Greg a number of years ago. And I was living in Northern California, just on the border of the Nevada line was in the winter and very, very cold. And the stores that there's a mining town, possibly some of you have heard about it. Bodie, the Tibet town of Bodie, California. It was a mining town. The mine has been closed down for a number of years and they were just opening it up. It was only one store there. And of course, their suppliers were very weren't very good. So there's a lot of the old man used to take their pack sacks and go over to the dough box six miles to the other town in Nevada. And they take their pack sacks and then go and get the supplies over there. Well, this old gentleman, he went over, and he left early in the morning and was supposed to be back the same night. And the boys were all looking for him but he didn't come. So the next morning, they went out looking for him. He had his old dog with him. And he had that tired on the way and he sat down at the tree as a child is back up against a tree to rest. He fell asleep. The next morning they found him and he was frozen in that position. Well they didn't know what to do. So they got that say and they brought him on the sleigh and brought him in. He had a nice little three room cottage, there was the bedroom, the living room and the kitchen. So they brought him in and they thought they'd come out. So they took the door off between the bedroom and the air between the living room and the kitchen and put it on sawhorses or they laid him on and they took the six some shapes and they strapped them down to try to straighten them out. Well they had a big, they had a big they had a big skin here in the living room. And a big round. I mean it had these chrome foot places. So he they distract him down on that. And there was two of them. We're going to watch and keep the fires going. Well so took them out and they had the fire going in the kitchen or the fire going in the living room. And there was one of there was an Irishman, Mrs. And one of them and he heard this noise in the other room. And they turned around and looked through the door. And this fella was sitting up on the door. All of a sudden they gave the stove a kick, not the stove pipes down and headed out the door as high as he could go. He never stopped for the stream door. It was no one we didn't stop the stream yard. And down the street. He went to a camp it was during prohibition and they had a saloon but it was it was near beer down us a couple of blocks on the run as hard as he could go. He started to go through the doors of the Sloane he couldn't make it and finally he backed out and the guy made another dash and they got in there with the screen door. We're still hanging around this man. When they asked him what was the matter, all he could do was saying that he was so scared he couldn't speak. So they all went back to see but it was well the smoke was pouring out of the windows and out of the doors and this poor fellow was trying to get the chimney, this pipes for back onto the stove. And they went back they found this fellow sitting up. Well, they all looked and they couldn't believe it. But this fella Believe me, he never went back to that house again. And when they got in there, he says, Jesus he says, I never thought that I'd come to life again.

Unknown Speaker 31:39
This is Reed Victoria

Unknown Speaker 31:49
prayer lives two years ago, and I was just a young girl. I had always been and my older brother had like all the others. So I in the old days, I was promoted or demoted by any you'd like to call to the outside work. Father was very ill. We I told him we had chickens. Of course not. And so this Saturday, my mother said to me, she said, go out and get the chicken. She says an unhealthy puppy because you have to go into town. So I wouldn't have to put your body into sadness. Now she would kill us once it finds us away. This is a new way to do it this way. Let's see a few ways. So I'm just busy. I did push up and so it wasn't just a wonderful way like no nothing he said this is a wonderful way to do it. So we were walking around had it all locked up except around his neck and his tail feathers around the slides. And so what happens is we're so

Unknown Speaker 33:33
no dancer my children

Unknown Speaker 33:46
we started and we pretty much the same philosophy of

Unknown Speaker 33:54
devotion and

Unknown Speaker 34:02
watching us so we told you what happened you looked at it. You said chicken this time dressing like gangster method going for it?

Unknown Speaker 34:35
You Mrs. Smith, by the way, Mrs. Smith is a member of the provincial board and I'm very happy to have her with us. She represents this district on the provincial board and Mrs. Edith Smith.

Unknown Speaker 34:55
Lifestyle master these wild ones I just heard As I was asked at the last minute, this is the only one I can think of. I came to Sydney 10 years ago, and I was a working person. And so I couldn't get a job right away, even though a steady job, so I was taking little bits of work here. Mostly holiday replacement and stuff like this. And in the fall monumentos I don't know whether any of you know Beijing Bay motel Lochside guide here. So the proprietor and his wife wanted to go on holiday that call. I mean, I've heard that there are results, doing little bits of work like this. So they asked me to go out and keep from motels I knew they were going to be away. Well, I wasn't used to the terrain, you know, out in this country, it's rather rough, you know, compared to Saskatchewan, when I came here was more or less level. And of course, I have come from the City of Saskatoon where, you know, there was nothing, no bushes or anything around, it was quite there. As some of you would know, if you have come from Saskatchewan, Canada, I thought, well, that's a nice little month's worth. So I'll go out and do this. And, of course, I have no time the bus service was very poor those days. So I want to there's a mile and a quarter from Sydney. But it was a nice walk to go back and forth. So one afternoon, I was I had done I thought I'd walk into town. I didn't go in very often because I have all these little motel units to do in the business. And on your way to town, I saw the most gorgeous patch of black forms. And they were shining a large, you know, because it was a good year and I learned come out. And I looked at these blackberries and they looked so luscious. I almost was tempted to just sit, stand right there and start eating amino acids. Now onto the back. I must pick some of those letters on my soccer. But I wondered why when I saw many people aren't picking my first one no one ever picked. The bad blackberries there. They were so badly. I went to town and did my own little shopping anomaly, because it was quite warm. It was a warm September, toward the end of September. And I have a straw hat on. And I have nothing to put the last version. So I thought now this is my chance to get some blackberry. So they were growing quite high. And I didn't know about what was underneath. It was my hat, tied the strings you know over my arm already. And I stepped forward to pick these lovely down into a ditch right up to here

Unknown Speaker 38:10
without a word of a lie

Unknown Speaker 38:13
that they had dug along was covered with vines. And I didn't see it. I found out why no one ever

Unknown Speaker 38:28
missed a breakdown now Mr. Mulligan I wanted him to run this little affair this first hour for me. Because it seems as if we're less effective is everything. So I didn't want to be wanted to wait and see what the others had to say until they gave it to us. So we're expecting something

Unknown Speaker 38:50
to be like that. I should say something that after listening to these stories, I don't know whether there was anything funny in my life. To be worth telling. But as far as exciting is concerned. I think the most exciting thing that ever happened in my life was when I was born. Now is there anyone here can remember where they were boy. I can I can remember just as plain as day. I can see myself laying there a little squirmy east of humanity. And I couldn't get my breath. I was trying to screw up my face and making trying to get my breath and I couldn't I couldn't power and the doctor see me and he grabbed my feet. You know what they do when they read? They got their feet in a hammock make him a smack on the bottom make him cry. But he grabbed me We applied that he took one look at me, he slapped my face

Unknown Speaker 40:11
that was an exciting thing happened. Because when I was born with three of us and that's where I consider I was lucky because just after we were born dad came in and took a look at us. He turned to mother and he says well pick up when you want to keep growing

Unknown Speaker 40:47
then I started to grow up. And even when I was when I was small, you know, even when I was a child, fathers that I was wild. I was simply crazy over girls. I used to steal out and play with them every day. I used to tease and even pull their clothes that I'm crazy at all. I'm getting whiter right now. Because the girls all look good to me. The young ones and the old they were made them and I love them they call because they're all sweet. Sweet, sweet. We love on the girls. You know our sport the skinny one around all day with me. Then I spend the evening sliding off the fat ones because they're all sweet. Sweet, sweet, sweet. I just can't help you know there's the girl with the smile. She's the girl that works to kind of do like the kiss but there's the girl with the Pope. Like Mary Pickford like out there the guy I like to miss some have cheeks like a rose others are under their nose. Some are shiny as can be. But take them off together. Never made them and I love them all. Because they're all sweet. Sweet Sweet Sweet is I can't help 11 The girl you know I take time to net out afternoon tea. And then I spent the evening with we will Marie because they're all sweet. Sweet sweet ladies. I just can't have one the girls

Unknown Speaker 43:03
challenge we have

Unknown Speaker 43:12
Mrs. Bama gang, but we found homeless don't rely on Mrs. Barbara. We don't know when she's coming. Coming in

Unknown Speaker 43:23
when she's going just didn't happen to me. It's happening to my sister many years ago in a row when it was very bad. Move on to step three, at that time, she had where she had been talking about because if I were was aligned with the paper that was one child that women knew anybody could have a place to raise. So my sister thought quite a lot of assets surrender into the house she realized she was sorry, she got two children. What could she do to go to this place to have a look at the house. She had to pass the cemetery so she took the two other residents put them on the seat in the cemetery and she said Mommy this units now you just wait there and I'll be back for you are going to be going to verbally anyhow she was on the phone with a horse when she looked over so we'd love to have you any other children she said rest my dad I had but I left spring summer early for soul Are

Unknown Speaker 45:07
you all

Unknown Speaker 45:08
while I was in the news last year, my brothers my great nieces is still living in that house. But the 99 years is up so the family onus

Unknown Speaker 45:29
anyone else would like to close this home loving marriage

Unknown Speaker 45:41
100 years ago was all first. And now we've done 200 years. The monasteries are now the time to change somewhere around a different idea deer who found her on her nose because I found

Unknown Speaker 45:57
a man who

Unknown Speaker 46:08
walked along together and the sky was steady two stars down. For her, he opened the bars. She lifted herself down her eyes on him. There's nothing between them now. So he is only the odd man and she drove the car

Unknown Speaker 46:37
thank you all very much and I hope you've enjoyed that part of the program.