How well do we know our neighbours? And what value do we place on them?
I'm wrestling with these thoughts as our neighbourhood and community changes. There are always reasons for change. A younger couple sans child off to university have opted to relocate to residency on the Tsawwassen First Nation development. Friendly, progressive people with a retail business in Ladner and a wine distributor, Jim and Christine will be missed. Seamlessly a couple from Richmond have taken their place and are fitting in nicely. They are the third occupants in a home of 20-odd years.
Neighbours commiserate with each other over loss of loved ones, injuries, illness and the inevitable passage of time. An older couple next door has entered the critical
stage of their life cycle with the passing of Marie a few years back and Lawrence now a resident in a care facility. A childless couple with roots in the Prairies, locally they are blessed with a large and caring family.
We knew them as kindly and generous, with Marie's periodic gifts of preserves and baking. An electrician by trade, Lawrence had a garage full of tools and generously supplied his knowledge, time and materials, saving that extra trip to the hardware store.
I miss him as he reminded me of my long deceased father, with his practical skills and his generosity of time. Even in his advancing years, Lawrence remained strong and able, interested in local affairs, willing to engage in conversation and debate.
Now in his 90s and suffering the ravages of time, we'll soon have new neighbours. They won't know this, but they'll have a lot to live up to in replacing a quality couple.
Speaking of quality, neighbours across the street are opting for life in a retirement centre, the next phase in their life cycle. Kent and Joan settled in 20 years ago and immediately immersed themselves in the community. Originally from
the East Coast, they easily adapted to Ladner from their Richmond home with their charm and hospitality.
With her nursing background and as a lay minister, Joan found herself sharing mission time with our First Nations people and offering support to others in hospitals and homes. Kent, a gregarious retired RCMP sergeant, regaled neighbours with tales from his chair on the front steps, or seated in his open door garage where he was an afternoon fixture. Anyone passing by was welcome to pull up a chair and have a conversation.
Generous with their commitment to community life, Kent and Joan donated considerable time over many years to the local food bank serving the less fortunate. A deeply religious and caring couple, they will be missed, and now we prepare to welcome the new owners to our neighbourhood.
The culture of Ladner has been dramatically altered with the untimely passing of Linda Ottho and Claudette Hayward, two wellknown, community-minded women who made a difference. They will be missed, never to be replaced.
And a sad good night to you, Walter and Ulf.
