Hi
Just a question..from this group you can see alot of us have left and are scattered everywhere..I have always wondered is it unique to us because we are from Quebec and the poitics being what they are would dictate that or would leaving be for the greener grass as they say? I look around other places and see people who grew up together still within a short radius from home.Of course could be that there are alot of groups like ours out there. Just wondering.
Take care and like Les says HF&RV
Lad
16 comments:
I am going to give my perspective on the reasons why people move. Our own ancestors came from Europe to persue a dream on the new continent. The first humans left Africa and moved north to Europe, the east, across the Aleutians and down the continent to South America. So this is nothing new. As far as Verdunites are concerned, obviously some moved as they could not adapt to the socialogical and political changes. But maybe this was just an excuse to go west (Go West young man, go West). My own brother and sister moved to Florida and my wife's 2 sisters moved to California app. 40-50 years ago to pursue the American Dream as did many French and English Canadians wich obviously had nothing to do with the political situation.. Getting away from our cold winters is a good enough reason to move south. It is an interesting subject wich will hopefully trigger a healthy debate. Guy
most people move for a job, you have to go were the work is our education system failed in many ways, they teached you to become a employee, finish school then look for a employer to hire you. many new comers come to canada and become employers, they make there own business, even us misfits like myself with only grade 9 education have to find a way to make a future. i learned later in life, never get jealous of someone better then you, admire that person, become his or her freind, learn from them help any little fellow going after his or her dream share experiences people that think you need money to make money, wrong before mr ford build his first car, he had 450 million in bank from his trust from investors. your dreams and freindship, sharing your experiences we all know this, yet only few do it many classmates and teachers looked at us as misfits, failures what they didn't know was you learn from failures, many just quit at there first failure myself after all these years at vc, it was a blessing to learn to read and write a post when i started few wrote me that its cool and understand my bad writings it was worst then it is now. yes those few helped me in big way on the vc site and i thank them in return i get pictures and give information on metals so those can get my thank you.
My family's reasons for leaving Verdun were very different than their reasons for originally leaving Finland to come to Canada. It that case they were looking for a better life. Canada in 1929 was welcoming immigrants so it was a perfect match. Their reasons for leaving Verdun for California were quite different. My mother had a powerful yearning to see Hollywood and to live in the warmth of California so at age 16 I left Crawford Park where I had grown up, left Verdun High School where I would have gone into the 11th grade and moved to Los Angeles. It might as well been a move to Mars. Life here was as different as it could be and those were difficult days of adjustment for me. My dad had no difficulty finding a job as a machinest but I think that my mother was always disappointed. I don't know what she expected to see in Hollywood but it wasn't there. We adjusted as everyone does and now it is home for me but I often wonder how different it would have been had we remained in Crawford Park.
I got married and left Verdun for Oshawa (talk about culture-shock!!) because my husband at that time had a job waiting for him. As kids (in our early 20s), we thought Quebec was headed for civil war after the October crisis, martial law and bombs going off in mailboxes. We thought going to Ontario would be better for us and for our future children. I hated Oshawa and Ontario. Moving from a vibrant metropolis of 2 million + people to small-town Ontario was not my idea of a great place to live! Two years later we moved to Brampton, which was larger than Oshawa at a population of just under 100,000 people. I still didn't like it and was homesick for Montreal and my family. I have now been here since 1976 and this still doesn't quite feel like "home" to me. We visit Montreal fairly often because I still have my mom & sister and extended family there -- and when I am there I truly feel "at home" instead of kind of marking time. I miss the European culture of Montreal, the food, the ambience, the history, the people. At 55 years old, I doubt that I will ever feel that Ontario is home, but rather a place to live with my husband and children who I adore -- a place they all consider "home" to them!
Hi I read what Finngirl posted and I too lived in the States when I was young. Instead of moving down in high school I went down much earlier..always fun to come back and see all my friends after being away.. Countrygirl I like what you said about marking time..I think thats the thought I have been looking for...I am not far from you in Cambridge..and I hear alot of people talking about how they all stayed close to home after they left school and settled down. Thats why I posted this question...I always wonder if it was just our corner of the world who scattered..always wonder too what it would have been like if we had stayed..Sense of community.. Thanks for hitting it on the head for me.. Lad
The various responses to this question are all interesting and represent an expression of both personal and natural reasons for evaluating our feelings about Verdun.
From my perspective Verdun represented a community where we shared a comon set of values and circumstances... economics, work ethic, respect for each other and the system at large, etc. Living in the shadow of the great city of Montreal provided us opportunities to test our skills and ambitions and enabled us to pursue our hierarchy of needs.
What I experienced growing up on 2nd avenue in Verdun (1944-63) left an indelible mark that help shape my approach to many circumstances I experienced later on in life. The opportunity to live accross Canada, in Europe and the United States exposed me to different cultures and communities. Governments are one thing but it is the people that make up the country and I have always been very proud to describe where I grew up and the spirit we had in our town. Perhaps the 60's was the end of our innocence but the ability to influence our decisions in life with a strong value system will always be a major reason why I will always call Verdun my home town. Wouldn't it be fun to have a decades reunion (40's, 50's, 60's, etc.) not specifically related to a school, church or club but simply an opportunity to share quality time talking about why we have special feelings regsrding our time in Verdun and hopefully learning from the Verdunites who continued to share in this experience.
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Countrygirl, it was so nice to read your post and to discover there is someone who understands exactly how I feel about home. Our story is similar, having left Quebec at age 30 just before the October crisis. Although we spent 28 years in Edmonton (major culture shock) and now live near Wellington, Ontario, I have never felt truly settled and after 36 years still only feel really at home in Montreal. I never ever thought I would end up in Ontario. The Lad, I also am envoius of my friends and neighbours here who have their parents, siblings, children and grandchildren all close by. I'm not sure there are a lot of people in this world today who are fortunate enough to live close to their loved ones.
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i think Gary's idea of a decades reunion is a fantastic idea. Nothing could be more fun than a mob of Verdun folks getting together. If you plan it they will come, including myself. Finding a place large enough may be a problem.
If such a reunion is organised, why not an open air gathering at the "Boardwalk", There are many large grass areas along the river including near the Natatorium, ideal for a picnic. Guy
Thanks Guy for a solid suggestion. It will be difficult to predict the weather however for a first outing it would provide an easy way to start the process of having these "Decades" events. We wouldn't have to worry about renting or securing a location where as stated earlier by another member might not meet the requirement. Let us receive more ideas and input and then perhaps we can form a small group where we start the process of trying to make this happen.
speaking of Verduners on the move,.Here's a shot of my nephew ,seeing the Eagles Concert at the ACC Centre,from an angle most of us will never experience:......He was born in Verdun,lived in Victoria,now sadly in Toronto,.( what a punishment that must be).....hahahahah However it looks like his fringe benefits are Ok I will try to make the picture smaller,but it was taken with my nephews cell phone camera,by his buddy,.they are over 90feet in the air ont the I-beams in the ACC Center providing lighting for the Eagles Concert,....he does many feature films ,that alot of you have seen,but we never think of the characters behind the scenes..........(and my nephew Bob,his truly a VerdunCharacter.......) HF&RV
I can't wait for 'Spell Check' on this site...........hahahahahah I Need It. YIKES!!!!! The old knucles would have been wrapped a few times for the spelling in that previous post,........... HF&RV
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This message is for Tiny Tina,....... Have Fun & Stay Young, I have explicit instructions to wave to you across the straight this coming weekend (from your big sis) I will be on occasion walking along Saratoga Beach ,as well as up in CR too....... So Aloha from Van Couver Isle..... I'll be leving Thursday afternoon first for Saratoga for a few days then to Horn Lake for a couple of days with friends....... So I'll wave ,you wave too!! HF&SY also HF&RV
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