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HOLLAND
COLLEGE • January 14, 2003
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INSIDE |
OPINION
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| Charlottetown,
Newfoundland? By Adam Jacobs Charlottetown gets this journalist’s vote for the nicest town in Canada. Not Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. With all due respect, the town I speak of has a leg up on the competition. No, the Charlottetown I speak of is in Newfoundland, Terra Nova National Park to be exact. I had the pleasure of going home to Newfoundland for the holiday season. I spent time with my family, visited friends, even saw a hockey game or two. But what I will remember most about my trip is the day my car quit. It was Friday, the weather conditions screamed good driving conditions. My wife, Leanne and I were on our way from Clarenville to Charlottetown, P.E.I. About 40 minutes into our travels we discovered some car trouble. I assured Leanne everything was fine, that we should pull into the nearest town and treat the car to a mechanic. I was sure we just needed some oil or maybe even some antifreeze, then we would be on our way. We pulled over on the side of the main road while I ventured to find the garage I knew was around the bend. Bad news. It had shut down several years ago. A man by the name of Jack Vivian, who was shovelling out the back of his truck, spotted me in the middle of the road, obviously distressed. After introducing myself I had asked him if there was a garage nearby. He said no. There were no service stations in Charlottetown anymore. I asked where I could find a phone. He pointed to his house. The door is open, he said. I entered his house and almost literally ran into his wife in the porch. I introduced myself again and told her my story. She showed me to the phone. Despite making several calls for help to Clarenville, I couldn’t reach anyone who could help me. Jack asked where I was going. When I told him he offered my wife and me a drive to Clarenville. We went to pick up my wife. When we reached the car I did not find my wife. She had gone to a nearby corner store, but I did find 13 people gathered around our car. The hood was up and they were each offering their suggestions as to what the problem could be. Leanne had come back emptyhanded and dejected. Unable to do much more for us, we thanked our helpers and proceeded with the Vivians to Clarenville. It turns out Jack went to school with my father many years ago and even worked with him in Labrador City. Small world. He brought us right to our doorstep in Clarenville, 40 minutes away, at no charge but a simple thank you. My father was there to greet us. He and Jack engaged in a little small talk, then the Vivians were on their way. Only in Newfoundland, was all I could think. Only in Newfoundland. |
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