E The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 12, 1994 - B1 INSIDE | COMMUNITY -. EVENTS B2 -HERE BY CHOICE ~~ FAE COLLINS MOONEY The Big Smoke loses its charm HE LAST TIME I visiled my favourite big city down south, something totally un- expected happened. It was my eagerly anticipated annual shop- ping trck, something I look forward to every year. So much so that for years I was always saying, if I should have to Jive in a “‘city”’ again, I would want it to be Victoria. To me it has always been a big city wilh a small town heart. It’s a place I loved to savour, to experience, to absorb. And, to shop. To me, it seemed to have the best of both: big city diversily and small town friendliness. But, the last time ] was there, it was dif- ferent, My favourite city had lost its heart, or so it seemed to me. It had become just another big city, cold and self-centered. The love af- fair was over. For the first time in all the years I’ve uekked off to the south with my shopping list and pack of charge cards I couldn’t wait to get back. Whatever appeal that lovely city held I could no longer find, or feel. Oh, I still love to explore Eaton Centre, and Mayfair, and Market Square, and have tea at Murchie’s and wander through Munro’s Hooks, rum- mage through second-hand stores, listen to mellow jazz at The Pasta Place, and hear the Victoria Symphony Orchestra perform at the Royal Theatre. _ I still like to do all the things available in a big city... ; But oe Something is missing now. Something is gone. It’s not something I can name, or de- scribe. It’s something sensed, and felt. Yet something that is real, It exists in a small community, It took me a long time to fall in love with Terrace. For years, I lived for that Great Es- cape south. For years, I hated the thought of having to return; [ didn't want to be here. - Bat love grew and I was totally unaware of it. It wasn’t wntil my Jast trek south that I realized. This time I felt like I had one of those heavy-duty elastic bands allached to my heart, stretched {o its limit, with the other end firmly caught in Terrace. Now, when- “[ felt like I had one of those heavy-duty elastic bands at- tached to my heart, stretched to its ‘limit, with the other end firmly caught in Terrace.” ever I leave, I feel this tugging at my heart, this tugging ai me to return. ] can’! get back fast enough, This litile city, suburb to the wilderness, to me, now, seems to offer the best of every- thing. Victoria in miniature it’s not, but it docs have classy little shops, first class theatre performances, restaurants wilh character and charm, (I never thought I’d ever be saying these things about Terrace!) and of course its friendliness, plus the rustic beauly that surrounds it. ; Terrace may lack the big city diversily and some of its favour, but it has given me something I never found in a big cily. A scuse of belonging. Is it Victoria that has changed? Or is it me. I don’t know. Maybe both, All [ know is, if you were to ask me now what city I’d prefer to live in, PU tell you — it’s Terrace. Now, I’m here by choice... WHAT’S UP Community calendar of coming events NOW APPEARS ON PAGE B2 - SECTION B a JEFF NAGEL 7 638-7283 a RCMP OFFICERS from across Canada rolled Into town on two wheels last Wednesday as part of a 3,000 kilometre, 20-day “Marrowthon” to ralse money for bone marrow transplants. On hand to meet them was Kitimat’s Laura Beaton, who Is alive today thanks to a marrow donation from an RCMP officer in Montreal. THEY’RE ON A ROLL. ‘Marrowthon’ Mounties ride to town and meet Laura LAURA BEATON met her heroes last Wednesday. The seven-year-old Kitimat girl greeted seven RCMP officers from across Canada who are part of a 3,000-kilometre bicycle tour to raise money for bone marrow transplants. They rolled into town Wednes- day and met local residents at a community potluck dinner at the Kin-Hut. For Laura, the event was some- thing special. She is alive today thanks toa bone marrow transplant she received five years ago from Montreal RCMP Inspector Gilles Soucy, Five years ago Laura was diag- nosed with leukemia and was not expected to survive. Her only hope lay in the remote possibility of a bone marrow nes transplant. “It was very quickly ruled out that any of the family would be a match,’” says Laura’s mother Diane. ‘‘We realized we would have to look for an unrelated donor.” In the weeks that followed, more than 1,000 people in Kitimat signed up with the Red Cross in the hopes that a donor might be found for Laura. The next month an unrelated donor was found — in Montreal. The transplant, in December, 1989, was successful, but Laura spent another year in hospital fighting off a host of complica- tions. Laura and Diane Beaton It used to take Diane an hour to give Laura all her medications. And that happened four times a day. Today, Laura is arthritic and | still bas some problems, like calaracts in her eyes, There’s the threat that the radia- tion eatment and chemotherapy could someday cause an unrelated cancer. But it’s now very likely that the main enemy — {he leukemia _ is gone forever. *‘It is almost five years, if she was going to relapse she probably would have done so by now,” says Diane. They didn’t find out who the donor was until last year. Diane Beaton asked the Red Cross to pass her name to the donor. Iuspector Gilles Soucy then agreed to let the society release his name to the family. ‘*He’s a very special person to us. We have never met him in. person but we have spoken over the phone and written and: ex- changed Christmas cards.”’ Diane says once when talking on the phone to Insp. Soucy, she told him that Laura looks dif- ferent since the transplant. | Her hair colour bas changed from blonde ta black and her eyes changed from blue to green. “He said ‘P’ve got black hair and green cyes’,”’ Diane remem- bers. And as of that moment, it all became crystal clear. Continued Page B3 Around Town New program for caregivers ARE YOU caring for a spouse or older family member at home? The responsibility of caring for an aging person with mental health difficulties can seem overwhelming. A new education and support program is being offered in Terrace to help people in that situation. It’s being offered by the Caregivers Association of B.C., the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and the University of Victoria School of Nursing. The 10-weck program will give a chance to leam about local resources, develop new skills and mect others who also care for family members or friends at home. The program takes place in October and November. For more information, call Gail at 638-7862 or Rosemarie al 638- 3325, Honour certificates presented THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY of Caledonia Sr. Secondary School will feature a public ceremony on Monday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p-m, to mark the milestone. The 25th anniversary celcbration will include presentation of honour roll certificates to the top 10 per cent of the school’s 1993- 94 grade 11 students and Passport to Education credits to the top 30 per cent, The evening's program will include a brief history of the school, recgonition of students, trustees and staff over 25 years, silver im- pressions, unveiling of a commemorative plaque, musical entertain- ment and refreshments, and tours of the school. Anyone connected with Caledonia: over the last 25 years (stu- dents, parents, clerical/custodialAeacjomg staff, and other com- munity members) are welcome to attend. For more info contact John Chen- Wing or Robin MacLeod at 635-6531, Social planning award on table NOMINATIONS ARE being accepted for an award that recog- nizes exceptional contributions to community social planning, The deadline for nominations for the Deryck Thomson Award for Community Social Planning is Monday, October 17. The award is. presented annually by the Social Manning and Re- | search Council of British Columbia (SPARC). Entrics can be sent to the Deryck Thomson Award Commiltice, he ‘ Att: Leslie Kemp, SPARC of B. Cy 106-2182. West 12th ‘Ave.; Van. op couver, B.C,, V6K 2N4, Phone Leslie Kemp at SPARC al 136. a118 for i more info. lM Treasure trove SWISHI A remarkably agile pig pinata managed to dodge many blows from the children assembled before giving up Its hidden cache of candles atthe multicultural potluck din- ner organized Oct. 2 by the Women's Resource Centra and the Terrace Multicultural Association, The bountiful banquet featured dishes from around the world. Canadian folk music by Terrace's Tania Mackenzie and Hindi fitm Songs. ‘by Canada World Youth students from India \ were “ie among the. evening’ 8 ‘entertainment.