Damn parents!

[pope]

My folks are almost 80. My mom was one of 16 children who grew up in a two room, dirt floor farm house in the middle of baldass Saskatchewan. As a kid, she would skin rabbits, collect eggs, milk the cow, change baby sisters diapers, hand wash mega cloths, and mix the hash for grandpa's still. She also taught my dad once they started dating (big city kid from Yorkton) how to clean a fish, pluck a goose, and shoot a deer. My dad went on to be a butcher for 40+ years thanks to mom. He still has almost most of his fingers.
They both worked their butts off for 30+ years raising their kids.
Together, they taught me and my siblings how to hunt, fish, camp and cherish the outdoors. They were and are not perfect; but where would I be now without them?

What did your parents teach you?

[winged1]

I've a little more respect than 'baldass'. My mother grew up outide of Biggar, and thier homestead is a provincial point of interest. My father grew up near Rosthern. Great grandparents homesteaded in 88' on the same lands that Riel was pushed off of in 85'. A shrine he built is also a provincial point of interest. What I'd learn?, an appreciation of who we are and how amazingly young Western Canada really is.

[Dennis780]

My dad was a clean cut city boy, and my mom was similar to yours, farm hand that lived in a dirt floor house. My grandpa didn't have a boy until later in life, so my mom and my aunt were treated like boys. Catching, killing, plucking, and gutting chickens was a regular thing. Removing those pesky salamanders from the basement was among their weekly chores, to keep their potatos.

My mom never really forced any of that on me as a child. I think she resented it mostly. My dad however, was, and probably is, the biggest fan of mother nature I have ever met, and will ever meet. He's not a hunter, fisher or a trapper. He's a hiker. He spent almost all of his single years living in Calgary, working to make enough for gas money to get to the mountains and back every weekend.

He taught me almost everything I know about hiking, survival, nature, all that pure stuff that happens when you're not adding up your total weekly hours to figure out how much overtime you've banked, or whether or not you will be able to afford the 'surprise' child heading your way in 9 months. He taught me that the answers to lifes questions are more simple than you think, and that life in general, is very simple. It only gets complex when you concern yourself with things that don't matter.

Dennis

[fishnut9]

My parents worked alot of different jobs but my dad taught me alot about fending for myself. We grew up poor so every problem he would try to fix himself first. He taught me how to save money in alot of spots in my life. Every time i spent over 30$ he would always say the same thing. "You know how many sacks of rice that can get you in the philippines."

[Jims71duster]

I've a little more respect than 'baldass'. My mother grew up outide of Biggar, and thier homestead is a provincial point of interest. My father grew up near Rosthern. Great grandparents homesteaded in 88' on the same lands that Riel was pushed off of in 85'. A shrine he built is also a provincial point of interest. What I'd learn?, an appreciation of who we are and how amazingly young Western Canada really is.

Did you know the McCaigs from there?

[RUBBERDUCKY]

My dad grew up on a farm near Russel Manitoba, came from a very poor background. He went into RCMP. My dad always taught me to stand up for what i thought was right, treat everyone like you want to be treated and always help out when you can, whether it be in your family or your friends.

My mother grew up in Big River, SK. She is a teacher, so i grew up knowing that an education was one of the most important things in lilfe.

My family showed me as much as possible about how to be a responsible person, and knowing that money isnt everything, as long as you are happy and healthy, nothing else matters.

Every day i wake up wondering how i can help give someting back to them for what they did for me.

Love you Mom and Dad.

[winged1]

Did you know the McCaigs from there?

If your referring to Biggar, no. Other than driving through, the last time I stayed in Biggar was probably 62'. The Grandparents always had a resturant/gasbar in Biggar, Delisle, Asquith.

[unclebuck]

I grew up on a farm in Humbolt, Sask., the son of immigrant parents. My father was a very frugal individual, having come to Canada immediately prior to the "Dirty 30's" when a nickel meant a dollar. His frugality extended to the point that in later years we used to rev him that we could not drive a "greased flaxseed up his patoot with a 10lb hammer". Over the years, his frugality paid off. I now have a farm there, given to me. He also had the capability and equipment to make "liquid grain", which I am sure paid for more than one box of groceries that we did not grow. Dad also took me hunting with him when I was a kid, and showed me the ropes. My mother taught me how to cook(something that my sister never picked up on), and something that I have passed onto my kids.

Bless you Mom & Dad. RIP!!!!

[KegRiver]

My dad started life as a Nova Scotia fisherman but he got seasick so bad he had to give it up. Grandpa owned a sawmill in Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia and for a time dad worked in that sawmill. He also worked in the shipyards and was one of the crew that built the Schooner, Bluenose.

But his inability to function at sea was a big problem so at age 16 he headed west. He worked his way across Canada, working farms and trapping in winter. In 1932 he landed in Keg River, Alberta looking for a place to trap. What he found was a gorgeous young sheepherder names Euginie.
A few months later they were married and working on setting up a farm.
Dad's idea was to farm in the summer and trap in the winter as he had been doing. It turned out to be the only way to provide for his growing family.
A few years later He bought land in Carcajou and moved the family to "The Flat". It is where I was born and where I grew up.

From mom and dad I learned to be resourceful and independent.
Dad taught me to hunt and trap, and to do it safely. He taught me to live off the land and to find my way in bush country.

Mom taught me how to get along with people and to recognize the importance of relationships. She taught me how to feed myself and how to make a home.

They raised 16 kids on that stump farm in Carcajou, using whatever resources they had at hand.
We ate a lot of wild meat, berries, mushrooms, for three weeks one summer we had nothing but wheat that dad had grown, to survive on. But we never asked for a handout, we never really needed one either.
Life was good. Life was simple. We had no modern conveniences and we owed no one a cent. We were free. When someone stopped by for a visit we could and did drop everything to concentrate on making our guest or guests feel welcome.

There were hard times. there were tragedies. One sister drowned in the river, and my little brother died of exposure on the trapline. But we became strong and we enjoyed life.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[DanJ]

My Dad grew up in Kingston Ontario, son of a manager at the locomotive plant. Dad worked in the locomotive shops until he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserve during the war. He became an active pilot in 1944 and flew hundreds of missions over occupied France.

After the war Dad became a metallurgist and engineer at Stelco. He built and managed a steel mill in Contrecouer, Que. for Sidbec. Dad was thus connected to industry throughout his life and of the many things he taught me (:character0053::character0110:, the most important were the importance of work, and to have respect for the working man.

Mom was the daughter of the town doctor in rural Ontario. Mom taught me to treat women with respect but to keep two grapefruit spoons in the kitchen :love0025:. ("You never know..." she said with a smile.)

[TreeGuy]

My dad started life as a Nova Scotia fisherman but he got seasick so bad he had to give it up. Grandpa owned a sawmill in Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia and for a time dad worked in that sawmill. He also worked in the shipyards and was one of the crew that built the Schooner, Bluenose.

But his inability to function at sea was a big problem so at age 16 he headed west. He worked his way across Canada, working farms and trapping in winter. In 1932 he landed in Keg River, Alberta looking for a place to trap. What he found was a gorgeous young sheepherder names Euginie.
A few months later they were married and working on setting up a farm.
Dad's idea was to farm in the summer and trap in the winter as he had been doing. It turned out to be the only way to provide for his growing family.
A few years later He bought land in Carcajou and moved the family to "The Flat". It is where I was born and where I grew up.

From mom and dad I learned to be resourceful and independent.
Dad taught me to hunt and trap, and to do it safely. He taught me to live off the land and to find my way in bush country.

Mom taught me how to get along with people and to recognize the importance of relationships. She taught me how to feed myself and how to make a home.

They raised 16 kids on that stump farm in Carcajou, using whatever resources they had at hand.
We ate a lot of wild meat, berries, mushrooms, for three weeks one summer we had nothing but wheat that dad had grown, to survive on. But we never asked for a handout, we never really needed one either.
Life was good. Life was simple. We had no modern conveniences and we owed no one a cent. We were free. When someone stopped by for a visit we could and did drop everything to concentrate on making our guest or guests feel welcome.

There were hard times. there were tragedies. One sister drowned in the river, and my little brother died of exposure on the trapline. But we became strong and we enjoyed life.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Keg, I one day look forward to reading the book or watching the movie. Fascinating tale for sure. :)

Great stories from everyone and thanks for sharing 'em.

I'll repay the favours, but it's getting late and there's a storm 'a brewin'. :(

[Albertadiver]

Keg, I one day look forward to reading the book or watching the movie. Fascinating tale for sure. :)

Great stories from everyone and thanks for sharing 'em.

I'll repay the favours, but it's getting late and there's a storm 'a brewin'. :(

Sign me up for this too please. Minus the storm part. I'm just drunk, and need to go to bed now.