The Gill Net Lodge
in Toronto

Past notes are here.

Your thoughts are welcome
below by clicking the moose!

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Hello,

I thought I'd be first for a change.  Just got back from the King Eddy--a blues bar in Calgary.  Music was good.  Plan to hear another great blues player on Sunday.

AM

Hi All:

We are now settled (well, almost) in Edmonton.  We love our house and our neighbourhood.  We have met some really nice people here.  The children and I met a lady at the park on the second day we were here whose son (Tyler) is just one day younger than Benjamin and Monika and she is currently pregnant with boy/girl twins!  She (Iris) has been introducing us to a lot of other moms with four year olds.

B&M started hockey last Friday.  They wear full hockey equipment!  All Monika's equipment is too big.  She is quite cute!

Monika attended her first dance class today. (Benjamin had absolutely no interest in participating even though Tyler is in the class.)  She really enjoyed it and wanted to stay to watch the 7/8 year olds dance.

We went to a waterpark last week.  While Pat was in the steam room, he started talking to a guy.  It turns out that is knows Kevin Vickers.  The guy's name was Ed and he is a retired Mountie.  Apparently, he and Kevin worked together in TO and Calgary.

So, the kids and I are pretty happy except for the fact that we are so far away from New Brunswick and that Pat is gone for a two week rotation to Northern Saskatchewan.

Take care! JoAnn

Hello All,

Sitting here at my sister Mary's place on the Miramichi after a wonderful family dinner with the folks, Kevin's family and Mary and Ed's crowd.  Roast Lamb was the main entree and it was great!

Flew in for the weekend to attend Dad's medal ceremony in Chatham yesterday.  It was something to see Kevin salute him in official uniform and then pin him with the Queens Medal for his service building the Co-op for 50 years.  Lots of dignitaries present and a number of other medal recipients.

Catching a flight back to TO in the morning.  I will post a photo shortly from the event.  Up to the cottage on the NOrthwest Miramichi today and it was a quiet, cold, silent and somewhat desolate looking.  Also stopped in last evening and had tea with Uncle George and Stephanie at their place, all is fine on Skyline Avenue.

John V

Bill: Congratulations on your award.  My father and I were very pleased to hear of it.  I know this is an area you have worked very hard on and are very deserving.
Good Luck, Fred Quinn, Jr.

(Mother and I)

Hello, W.J. Vickers you sure do deserve that medal many moon's ago.   John it is great to see the pictures.  Boy!  Monica looks great.  Love Patty.

Well, it is certainly not difficult to tell that the RCMP officer is related to the man getting the medal, and you, too, John....you and Kevin so resemble your Dad...congratulations, Uncle Bill!  Monica, with that side view, I can see Grandmother Lillian in you.  I am sure the day was a special treat for all of you and the fact that Kevin did the honours was even more special for you.
Love to all,
Brenda

Happy Sunday!

Toronto is in the midst of a major winter storm this morning, blowing snow, drifting snow, snow, snow, snoow.  I think I want to move back to Victoria now that I am settled in here.  There is something to be said however for seeing the sun on a consistent basis, which is one thing you see little of on Vancouver Island at this time of year.

The snow also seems to bring out the baker in me.  Today I have cinnamon raisen bread a risen'..:-)

I couldn't set up my drums in my condo so yesterday I traded them in for techno drums which look somewhat similiar only play through your headphones, thus keeping peace with the neighbours.  They are so amazing!  You can push buttons and turn them into over 60 different drums kits from reggae to blues to rock and roll and on it goes. You also have 250 songs where you can push a button, remove the drums from a song and then you fill in as the new drummer.  I am like a kid in a candy store.

Just a few weeks more weeks people will be beginning to head home for Christmas .  Going to be great to have our whole family home on the Miramichi.

Mother wishes you warm greetings Aunt Patty and Father says hi to you and your Dad Fred..

John V

Kevin V was on CBC Newsworld today regarding an illegal immigration story and the video interview is here.

Hi,

Thursday the story about the charges in the Blood scandal were announced.  I thought about Kevin working on the high profile case and wondered if he missed the excitement.  Not to miss his spot on the Canadian Crime Busters scene, he is all over the media with the people smuggling.

Kevin, I’m glad you’re my cousin and proud every time I see you interviewed or hear you on As It Happens, or other radio programs.  You definitely are doing great work with your current post.

AM

Happy U.S. Thanksgiving To The Quinns, Bethy & Terry and family
and all other Kingston relatives south of the border!

Hi John, I love the picture of the CN Tower in Toronto.  Is there an easy picture to put on of the Chelsea Hotel, that apparently looks straight at the CN Tower?  When Erin was in Toronto this summer she was on the sixth floor balcony of this hotel, talking to us on a cell phone, and looking at the CN Tower.  We could tell she was in awe.  We on the Miramichi are anticipating with great excitment the arrival of everyone for Christmas.  I was in Richibucto all of Saturday, as Amy played in a volleyball tournament.  The drive was slow, lots of fog.  Hello to everyone in Kingston land.

Hi Everyone,

It is so hard to believe that next week is December.  The girls are VERY excited.  Rebecca is singing twice on Saturday -- once in the City Parade and later in the evening at a Christmas Concert at Saint Mary's church.  Katie-Rose is in a concert on the 19th.  She is so shy that I figure the best I can do is get her dressed for the event.  She will probably join us in the audience after that.  She takes after her Grandfather in many ways!

Speaking of Dad, he is awaiting a call to go to Saint John to see the caridiologist.  He was suppose to have knee surgery, but failed the stress test.  In typical Dad fashion he has since become the model for positive eating, etc.  I figure he will be healthier this time next year than he was in his younger years.  Go Dad!

Well best get back to work.  We have 2 graduations coming up and are implementing a new Studnet Information System which has all of the staff in my unit a tad bit stressed.  Talk to you later....