I didn’t live here in 1974 but as I read the wonderful letters you so kindly submitted following Saturday’s weather column, I feel that that October storm – 45 years ago – brought people together, much like our more recent White Juan did. It produced some funny stories and created some lovely memories …
Cindy McAlpine MacKenzie, New Ross, N.S.:
“I didn't need your article to remind me of that storm, but enjoy the science behind it. My cousin and I remember it well. Probably because it was our first adventure. I called her last Sunday and we had a good laugh and I was told I should share this with you.
“Our mother's family comes from the Forties Settlement, New Ross and my Aunt and Uncle had a cottage there. The "Camp" is still in their family and is on Gully Lake.
“They would go there every weekend from spring until hunting season was over. I often got to tag along. That weekend just happened to be one.”
Dianne Brander, P.E.I.
“We were married on Oct. 19, 1974 which was a beautiful day but next day was an ice storm on P.E.I. We were supposed to go to Halifax for our honeymoon, but everything was closed or shut down so Don went to work at The Guardian! We celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary this weekend!”
Mark Robertson, Victoria-by-the-Sea, P.E.I.
“I was living in Victoria-by-the-Sea, with wife Betty, and five children, aged from 6 to 16, when a vicious sleet storm sprang up. It wasn't all that cold, but the sleet collected on the power lines, and tree branches, etc., and pretty soon the power went off; not unusual, except for duration – the outage lasted 6.5 days for us!
“… We had some warning, so filled the bathtub, and lots of other containers, bought extra milk, etc.
“We instituted a rule for using the toilet I had seen in a friend’s cottage: "in this land of sun & fun, we never flush for number one," piled up wood for the living room fireplace, lit a wood stove in the ground floor, fired up a camping cove in the kitchen, etc., etc. In the evening we brought mattresses into the living room, where it was warmest, played board games and told stories to each other… Towards the end of the week we had used all our stored water and joined other villagers at the old school pump to fill up – thank God for old technology! In the end it was wonderful to stand in a hot shower, in a warmed house with the lights on – but it had been an interesting experience.”
I’ll have a few more stories to share with you tomorrow...
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.
