I was born in 1922 in Bournemouth, England, the middle of three daughters born to George and Ethel Legg. I was always interested in gymnastics and belonged to a church club, equivalent to the present YWCA.
I met my husband, Terry, in November of 1942. He was an airman and flew in Lancasters. We married on April 10, 1944 and after Terry completed his tours of operation, he returned to Canada in October of 1944. At that time the Canadian government was shipping troops home and filling the boats with war brides. So that is how I came to Canada. I left England on the tenth of December, 1944. The war was still on but we arrived safely in Halifax, Pier 21!
We then went to Terry’s parents’ farm near Mannville, Alberta. I will always remember Christmas Eve. When looking out the window there was not a light in sight. Very traumatic for someone coming from a city in England. Wow, was that isolation! After being on the farm for a month, I then moved to Calgary with Terry who was still with the Air Force. We were lucky to get accommodation in a big house. Our suite consisted of two rooms and the use of a kitchen. A nice young couple shared the rest of the top floor with us. Terry was then posted to Toronto. Terry insisted I move back to the farm. During the month of January, while I was on the farm, my Sunday night outing was a trip to Minburn. There I visited the postmistress who was a lady from England. Heated rocks provided some comfort in the open cutter. The leg throws were horsehide. Moonlight nights were beautiful.
Sandra was born in Mannville Hospital, April 16, 1945. To get me to the hospital my father in law had to drive over fields because the roads were impassable. I returned to Calgary on V-E Day and then, shortly after, Terry was demobilized. He has applied to attend university to study pharmacy. However, lacking Latin, he had to spend some time brushing up on his grade twelve. In the fall of 1946, he started attending classes. In the interim, he worked as a laborer on construction, part time at the liquor store, whatever. He attained his B.Sc. in 1949. In 1947, we had opened a drugstore in Edmonton and so he moved in with the pharmacist who was working for us, to do his apprenticeship.
Sandra and I took a trip to England in 1948 and it was heaven to get back there. In the following years, my parents and my two sisters were able to come to Canada to visit. This, in addition to weekly letters from my mother, and after her passing, weekly letters from my dad, plus contact with my sisters, allowed me to maintain close ties with my family.
Bryan was born in 1950. A fond memory is Bryan’s keenness for skating, even as a small child. He was always very interested in athletics and also acquired a pilot’s licence.
Brett was born in 1959 and enjoyed being the darling of the family as his older siblings spoiled him. He was three and a half when we returned to Canmore.
The family came to Canmore on February 4, 1963, a day remembered because there was no snow. My husband and I had bought a business here, a drugstore. This building at 713 Main Street was in the main block of the town. No sidewalks except boardwalks, poor roads were part of the picture. But Canmore already had electricity, running water and natural gas.
Our first home was right across from the drugstore, a little house on two lots, probably where the Saan store is now. We rented this residence for two years, then found a place in Tepee Town which was a very nice home. We lived there for five years. In 1969 we started building a store on the Main Street and moved in in June, 1970. In order to build on the lot we moved our tiny store on to the adjacent lot belonging to Edna Appleby. The old drugstore was then moved to Exshaw and converted into a home.
Prior to this, there were public meetings regarding the development of the town. These were ongoing until finally there were just nine people left. We were working with the Calgary Planning Commission at the time. This eventually evolved into a town planning commission and I, along with Edna Appleby, were both on the development appeal board. Then in 1968 the vacancy for the Canmore Hospital Board came up and I started my twenty-four year stint as a board member. I was also secretary-treasurer of the recreation council. With the construction of the new building, I contacted Eaton’s to see if they would like a catalog office here in town, so, from 1971 until closure in 1976, the office was in our building (locally known as the McLaughlin Building). Actually, we sold the building in 1978. Terry then moved to Calgary and I remained here.
In 1979, I went to the Upper Hot Springs for a summer job as a cashier. The summer lasted twelve years. Such fun! I loved it. During this time, I was still on the hospital board working towards the new hospital. I turned the sod September 2, 1982 with Greg Stevens (MLA at the time). The land, probably thirteen acres more or less, for the hospital had been acquired from the federal government at the cost of one dollar. Gordon Taylor was instrumental in helping us acquire the land as he was the MP for our constituency at the time. The hospital was completed in May of 1984 and officially opened in June, 1984.
I belong to the Legion now. I was a volunteer ambulance attendant in Britain during the war. As a member of civil defense, I was unable to become a member of the Legion until daughters of veterans were eligible to join.
When I first came to Canmore, I joined a craft class with Dora Peters. I attended a pottery class at the Banff Centre taught by Peter Fuhrmann.
Another highlight when we first came here were our trips to Mt. Assiniboine on horseback. These were weekend trips. Our outfitter was Floyd Smith. We were taken by truck on the Spray Road to the head of the trail. Then we rode into Marvel Lake and camped overnight. One time we had a Scot with bagpipes with us. In the evening, he was taken to the centre of the lake to play the pipes for us. The outfitter even provided little heaters for the tents. Cooking was done in the cook tent. Meals were excellent. Terry, after telling the cook the cauliflower needed cheese sauce, was able to enjoy the same for supper that evening. The next morning, we would ride up to Assiniboine to another camp of Floyd Smith’s. We had to walk over to Sunburst Lake to Lizzie Rummel’s to buy a fishing licence for British Columbia. Lizzie always entertained us with coffee and German butter cake. Lizzie was a favorite of Brett’s. Floyd always saved the same horse for me, a black called “Nugget.” We always stopped to “rest the horses” in the right spot so that I was able to remount by the use of nearby boulders.
Fate has been kind and given me five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Sandra had a boy, Shane, and a girl, Darla. Darla has two sons Dustin and Wyatt. Bryan also has a boy, Blake, and a girl, Karlea. Karlea now has a son named Jared. Brett has one daughter, Sharrah.
Retirement can be great if one wants to make it so. We have had square dancing and line dancing, aerobics and yoga, not to mention singing. A Lunch group meets each Tuesday, patronizing a different restaurant each week. It is a great time of camaraderie. Many of these activities originate with the Seniors’ Association, a great promoter of seniors’ involvement.
Pat McLaughlin
In Canmore Seniors at the Summit, ed. Canmore Seniors Association, 2000, p.196-198.
