A view from the sky tram in Jasper on a family holiday
Today is Remembrance Day, November 11th. It is a good time to remember the various sacrifices of our service men and women in the cause of freedom, some giving the ultimate sacrifice. Those at home are often impacted in various ways. I just happened to be looking at some of the writings I have done in the past and I came across a couple of excerpts from the life story of Dora, someone that belonged to a writing group with me. It just happened to fit the day. A special thank you goes to Dora for sharing this. She had lived during the time of the Second World War and shared a few of her experiences. She wrote . . . . . .
Wartime had been hard in many ways. We had many shortages of things like tires or anything made from rubber, stockings, candy and much more. Rationing covered meat, butter, sugar, tea, coffee, liquor and gas so we had to give coupons in order to buy these things. We could have so much each week. Many other items were seldom available. For years all pork went overseas. If you saw a long line-up in a store, you got in line because you knew they were selling something scarce. It was hard to get enough stockings to wear to work. We had had course heavy Lyle stockings or real silk. Nylons were just coming out. They all had seams up the back that were a challenge to keep straight. Candy was a real treat. You were happy to take whatever kind they happened to have. They used all the rubber for tires for tanks and other Military vehicles. Elastic was a shortage that caused embarrassing problems, when it would wear out and let your panties drop at the worst time. Most of the able-bodied men were away somewhere in the services. Workers here were so short women had to do jobs that they had never been allowed to do before. The restaurants were graded and had a sign in the window, if they were clean enough for the service men to eat there. . . . . . . In October 1944 I started at Victor Comptometer School at 201 Birks Building at 104 St. and Jasper Avenue to become a comptometer operator. (CJCA Radio Station was broadcasting from the fourth floor of the Birks building and the school was on the second.) A comptometer is a type of calculator. I liked math at school so I thought this would be my kind of work. Mrs. Hair tried her best to make me into a fast, efficient, accurate comptometer operator. I worked for six months trying to work up my speed, but never could make the speed I needed to get my Certificate. The first day she sent me out on a job to a fur Auction. After the Sale had started, they announced that World War II was over. It was the 8th of May 1945 VE Day (Victory in Europe). They could not stop the Sale to celebrate, so we had to work all day as usual. Everyone was in a celebrating mood. Many of the Trappers and Traders were celebrating by smoking cigars. I learnt to appreciate the smell of a good cigar over a cheap one that day, but I still have a hard time to tolerate any of them, as the smell became so overbearing. Irene XXXXXXX, Dorothy XXXXXX, Helen XXXXXXX and I went to 101 Street and Jasper Avenue to dance in the Street that night. There was a very large crowd there as it was a very “Happy Time”! The very next day everyone had a Holiday. Margaret (a friend of Irene) used her car to take Irene, Dorothy, Helen and me to Seba Beach for the day. I remember decorating the car with long streamers of toilet paper. The tin cans we tied on behind made lots of noise to attract attention so we could wave and CALL to everyone we saw. We did take time for silent prayers of thanks to the Lord that the war was finished. Now our friends overseas could come home . . . . . Thanks Dora for remembering a time gone by. Too bad it couldn't have been the end of all wars. ………………………. *Included with permission from Dora **In the United States it is known as Veteran’s Day
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