August 21, 1973 - August 31, 2008

Well this is it, the end of 35 years of travel from sea to sea to sea several times over. It’s been mostly fun with only a few regrets but I’m not sad that it’s all coming to a close. I’ve seen more of this country than most people can ever dream of and visited communities that people pay tens of thousands of dollars just to get to once in their lifetime. Wow, and someone actually paid me to do all this! I’ve been lucky to work for a company that takes care of its employees as well as Northern does and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given, no matter what I may have mumbled under my breath from time to time.

The following is an alphabetical listing of all the Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company stores that I can remember working in even if some of them were unofficial and only for a few minutes. Many of them no longer exist but there’s a story with each and every one so perhaps someday I’ll sit down and fill you in on a few of them. As with most memoirs though some secrets will have to be kept and names changed just to protect the innocent. Hmmm, I can think of lots of variations of the HBC initials that were applied to “The Bay Boys” over the years so who am I kidding with the innocent remark! Personally I always preferred the Handsome Boys Club over some of the others.

So here we go… Attawapiskat, Banff, Bearskin Lake, Blanc Sablon, Buffalo Narrows, Calgary, Cape Dorset, Chesterfield Inlet, Chevrey, Chibougamau, Chisasibi (Fort George), Churchill, Clyde River, Coral Harbour, Deer Lake, Eastmain, Edmonton, Fort Albany, Fort Severn, Fort Smith, God’s Narrows, Happy Valley, Happy Valley Rental, Hay River Foods, Hay River Retail, Igloolik, Inukjuak (Port Harrison), Inuvik, Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), Iroquois Falls, Island Lake, Kangiqsujjuaq (Wakeham Bay), Kangirsuk (Payne Bay), Kashechewan, Kasibonika, Kuujjuaq (Fort Chimo), Kuujjuaraapik (Great Whale River), La Ronge, La Tabitiere, Lake Harbour, Little Grand Rapids, Manouane, Mistassini, Montreal, Moose Factory, Moosonee, Nelson House, New Liskeard, Nitchequan, Norway House, Obedjiwan, Ottawa, Pangnirtung, Pickle Lake, Poplar Hill, Poplar River, Portage La Loche, Povungnituk, Qiqitarjuak (Broughton Island), Rankin Inlet, Rigolet, Rossville, Salluit, Sanikiluaq (Belcher Islands), Sapotaweyak, Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout, Smooth Rock Falls, Split Lake, St. Paul’s River, Toronto, Vancouver, Waskaganish (Rupert’s House), Weagamow, Webequie, Wemindji (Paint Hills) and Winnipeg.


And with this I do hereby declare myself officially retired. 3, 2, 1, 0…