Looking Back: Looking Back at 2024

2024 marks the 17th year that I have been crafting stories for the Herald. That is a lot of verbiage and, I might add, a lot of research. It can be onerous at times, verifying dates, names and details, but in the end this unrelenting dot connector finds the whole process rewarding.

It is always nice to get feedback and more than anything else, it is what keeps me motivated to find new stories to explore. This last year, like every other year, I found myself wandering around in a wide variety of topics. So what say we slip back to January of this year and see what came out and what, if anything I might like to add.

First in the New Year was a piece explaining the Fortis upgrade process which involved a lot of chasing around and engaging their crews. While the overall story was designed to be complimentary of their efforts, on retrospection I find the final product quite unsightly. It is shocking to see rows of 35 to 40 foot poles lined up like giant ents on many of Coleman’s streets and avenues. And just to make it even more unsightly, we still have the old poles sitting next to the new ones on a lot of avenues. Many have been decapitated for some unknown reason, and left with the cable lines still attached to them instead of being moved over to the new poles.

The Fortis column was followed by one involving an exploration of mine accidents involving physical injury to coal miners. We have mercifully moved past those days but it led me into researching a two part series on Roy Lazzarotto, a man I so admired for his work ethic and focus on safety. It is important, in my mind, to acknowledge those that leave us by telling their stories. And I will continue to do so as I find my way through so many lives well lived.

Early spring brought stories on the equinox and calendar manipulations and also went deeper into the predictable occultation we call the solar eclipse. Incidentally there is a pretty good chance I will not ever see another total eclipse as it will not occur again over Canada until August 23rd, 2044.

Being a big supporter of the Roxy Revival process I wound up doing three stories last spring that connected to this monumental effort. The first one was covering the Snow White play, which was over the top in its production values and unique approach to this Grimm Brothers German fairy tale. Then it was on to the amazing violin auction with its wonderful array of hand painted offerings. This was followed by an update on the Roxy’s progress and looking forward. I can’t say enough about this crew, especially Don Budgen, whose oversight on this tricky project is impeccable. That is why the column was called Doing It Right - Not Fast. Incidentally dear readers, there is one more violin auction on the go right now. It is a beautifully crafted Christmas scene effort (both sides) done by artist Donna Bilyk, so be sure to check out this amazing work on-line. Bidding ends on the 21st of December.

In May and June I put out stories about the amazing variety of chickens in the world and then a trip into the old Blairmore Union Cemetery to see what stories I could “turn up”. Somehow that choice of phrase doesn’t seem to fit quite right? I had been monitoring the going’s on at the Italian Hall all spring and decided in late June to share its respectful journey into repurposing. Someday that hall, along with other ongoing renovations, will come together in an eclectic mix in downtown Coleman and it will be amazing.

In July I chose to write about an event at the library that acknowledged the life of a sorely missed member of our community, Isabel Russell. The stained glass commemoration of her garden hangs in a window at the library where sunlight makes this work shine, like Isabel’s life.

Late in the summer I revisited the story of my Labour Day 1991 epic hike up the Crow that got off on a really wrong track. There is a right way and a wrong way to approach this climb. I of course chose the wrong way. I also spent a good amount of time chasing weeds like knapweed and blueweed and got to see firsthand just how tough these issues can be. We all need to lean into them if we are going to keep the Pass clear.

In the early fall I got caught up in and photographed the unusual and fun-filled effort that was referred to as Cache the Pass. It was a series of geo-caching hunts, designed by the crafty Brent Dase, to brighten the lives of our AHS front line workers and it did so in spades. Brent did a splendid job and it will be remembered as a time of coming together, like they do in their jobs, to work things out. I wrapped up late fall by going deep into the old Greenhill rotary dump building to show how coal cars were handled way back when.

But for me the early winter’s journey into the world of the Ukraine and its heart breaking war was a defining moment. I got to know Iryna and Nik, Ukrainians driven out of Kiev by this awful war and like Ukrainian immigrants over a century ago, they are trying to start a new life here. I came to understand their personal story and in the process I have drawn Iryna, who is a gifted writer, into the Herald’s fold. You can look forward to her insights into her world and her observations into ours, in future offerings.

Finally, to wrap up the year, I interviewed a gracious and talented man by the name of Vic Bergman whose book on the defining work of the Gushul family will come out in January. The selected photos are iconic, spectacular in clarity and through the photographic lens of the Gushuls, define who we are and how we all got here.

So into year 18 of Looking Back, I look forward to presenting more offerings on the pioneers of this amazing place and sharing the stories that have shaped us into who we are now. From myself and my cats George and Kitten, I wish you all a very Joyeux Noel.