I’ve finally done it…

I passed a major hurdle in my life this morning. As I was searching for my Melvin Jones Fellowship pin to make sure I had it to wear to the Lions Convention this weekend I ran across my old Northern name tag.

What to do, what to do… This little piece of plastic with my name on it represented a huge chunk of my personal history. The slogan “Customer Service Is Our First Priority” was (believe it or not) the credo by which I tried to live my life for the past 35 years. All else got put aside… personal time, dreams and even family. I wonder what experiences and memories I missed during all those decades that I will never know about… it’s now too late to go back.

Enough of that… what I started to tell about today was that the Northern name tag, like myself, is now officially retired. While I sit on my deck or peck away at me leisure on my little laptop the name tag has received a different fate… it’s now on the way to the landfill. Hmmm… almost like losing a friend but maybe it’s time to gain a family.
Hello everyone, I’m home!

July 31, 2008.

So you've heard it all from me before... last trip. I've warned you all though that if the company gets stuck and really needs someone somewhere fast they know that they can call and I'll be on the next plane out for them. The timing on this excursion however will take me right up to (and probably over) the planned and agreed upon retirement date of September 1st. We’ll see.

Today's route takes me from Wiky to Sudbury to Toronto to Winnipeg to Saskatoon. There I will overnight at one of my favorite hotels, the Saskatoon Inn. This is my preferred location in that city as it’s close to the airport with easy access to the city and Provincial highway system. I won’t tease you with stories about the dessert buffet (complete with chocolate fountain) following a great western meal, or the “Botanical” lounge where you can get a very fine single malt for a nightcap.

Sigh… it will have to be just one Lagavulin tonight though as I have a 5 hour drive north in the morning. No commercial flights to where I’m headed this time but it does have the very rare treat called a “road” to this particular Northern location. I’ll try to post again tomorrow but I’m not even sure I’ll have an internet connection for a while. If you don’t hear from me or see any updates to the Our Manitoulin web site you’ll know why. Later!

June 20 - Departure from Old Crow

Normally when I leave a community I have some sense of either letdown or relief.

Today, as we head out towards Inuvik from Old Crow I’m not sure what I feel. Is it perhaps a twinge of disappointment at once again running out of time to get everything done that I’d wanted to? It’s always “I need one more day” and that’s the story of my life lately, I guess. The goal is always to leave a store in better shape than when I found it so it’s “Mission Accomplished” once again… but there was so much more that could and should be done at this location.

So, I’m not sure what I’m feeling upon this departure. Maybe the closest I can come actually is relief. Relief that I’ve survived another one and relief that if all goes well then this sojourn completes my 35 year career with first The Hudson’s Bay Company and now The North West Company. Since heading out in August 1973 to my first posting in Mistassini I’ve worked in (or at least visited) 76 stores and travelled from coast to coast to coast many times. The scenery on this trip has been some of the most spectacular from the Niagara Escarpment to the Prairies to the Rockies to the Mackenzie Delta and the Arctic Ocean.

How lucky can a guy get to see all that and have someone else pay the tab? Lots of openings with TNWC these days in all areas of the country and stores so if you are interested in a great life with lots of perks just let me know and I’ll help get you started with talking to the right people. See 'ya later!