I
recently sorted through the old documents that provided the inspiration and
content of this story, taking the opportunity to dispose of some of the
material. In this purge, I sent to the recycling bin pages and pages of
correspondence between Augustin (Gus) and others relating to land transactions.
There was correspondence about a sale of a portion of the farm, more about the
provision of easements, others about people trespassing onto the farm.The flurry of land negotiations all took
place around 1955, just under 10 years after Gus purchased his portion of the
farm.
The greatest gift this last visit to the old documents gave me was a new appreciation for my step grandfather, Gus. We had been told by Gus that he was the central figure on the farm in those early years, but sadly we somewhat discounted his stories. Eddy was working off farm, logging and building roads all over the province. By the time I was old enough to notice how the farm was working it was Eddy that was "in charge" of decision making around all the workings of the farm. The old documents are clear testaments to Gus's version of events All of the farm bills and correspondence are addressed to Gus. I had not fully understood the scope of the role that Gus had during those early years. I gained a deeper appreciation when I calculated his age. My father was 19 when he moved to the farm, and his friend, Gus, was 26. Gus was young to be entering into financial negotiations over the purchase of land. The buyers were much older and had the financial means to hire a lawyer to assist in the process. As I read over the documents I get a sense that Gus may have been at a disadvantage due to his inexperience, which resulted into the extended period of time, well over a year, to bring the land deal to a close. There were no realtors involved in any of these sales, and minimal lawyer representation, most likely due to cost. There was evidence that the letters had been first written out, edited and then typed, most likely by my grandmother. All of this made for a complicated time consuming process.
All of the people discussing sales and easements were living in either Vancouver or Calgary, returning to the Shuswap primarily in the summer months as tourists. Gone were the days of farmer selling to another farmer as it was when Gus and Eddy had first arrived in the area. The farm expressed concern at this time to the Government about the rumour that owner of one of the properties of 2.5 acres was considering selling it as a campground. The government official reassured Gus that this was not the case. Gus and his father-in-law were concerned about the negative impact of tourists on the farm; scaring the cattle, gathering of firewood, and noise. This would be the start of the pressure of tourism, and the often-conflicting needs between farmer and tourist. It is somewhat ironic as many years later it was the creation of an RV park next door to the proposed one in 1955, which we hoped would finally end the ongoing financial stressors of the farm.
The greatest gift this last visit to the old documents gave me was a new appreciation for my step grandfather, Gus. We had been told by Gus that he was the central figure on the farm in those early years, but sadly we somewhat discounted his stories. Eddy was working off farm, logging and building roads all over the province. By the time I was old enough to notice how the farm was working it was Eddy that was "in charge" of decision making around all the workings of the farm. The old documents are clear testaments to Gus's version of events All of the farm bills and correspondence are addressed to Gus. I had not fully understood the scope of the role that Gus had during those early years. I gained a deeper appreciation when I calculated his age. My father was 19 when he moved to the farm, and his friend, Gus, was 26. Gus was young to be entering into financial negotiations over the purchase of land. The buyers were much older and had the financial means to hire a lawyer to assist in the process. As I read over the documents I get a sense that Gus may have been at a disadvantage due to his inexperience, which resulted into the extended period of time, well over a year, to bring the land deal to a close. There were no realtors involved in any of these sales, and minimal lawyer representation, most likely due to cost. There was evidence that the letters had been first written out, edited and then typed, most likely by my grandmother. All of this made for a complicated time consuming process.
All of the people discussing sales and easements were living in either Vancouver or Calgary, returning to the Shuswap primarily in the summer months as tourists. Gone were the days of farmer selling to another farmer as it was when Gus and Eddy had first arrived in the area. The farm expressed concern at this time to the Government about the rumour that owner of one of the properties of 2.5 acres was considering selling it as a campground. The government official reassured Gus that this was not the case. Gus and his father-in-law were concerned about the negative impact of tourists on the farm; scaring the cattle, gathering of firewood, and noise. This would be the start of the pressure of tourism, and the often-conflicting needs between farmer and tourist. It is somewhat ironic as many years later it was the creation of an RV park next door to the proposed one in 1955, which we hoped would finally end the ongoing financial stressors of the farm.
This story has led me to reflect on the importance of acknowledging the work and contributions of others. I don’t believe this is a common practice. Perhaps there is a belief that it is your job, and there is no need to be thanked for doing it. Gus passed a number of years ago thus I am limited to acknowledging his version of the farm history in writing. I feel sad that I have not been able to express my gratitude in person, however the impetus for writing this story was to provide an accurate history of the farm thus it is a comfort that Gus’s contributions can be included in this record. The years have given me a different perspective of Gus; I have a better appreciation for his unquestioning loyalty to my parents and his efforts to support my father in all his endeavours on the farm.
The photo below is Circa early 1950s. Eddy on his cherished bulldozer with Gus standing beside. Gus did his best to support Eddy on the farm by assisting in the various farm and off farm duties, as well as in the purchase of many of the machines and other related farm equipment.
The photo below is Circa early 1950s. Eddy on his cherished bulldozer with Gus standing beside. Gus did his best to support Eddy on the farm by assisting in the various farm and off farm duties, as well as in the purchase of many of the machines and other related farm equipment.
The bottom letter is the one that Gus sent outlining his worries about a campground going in next to the farm. The top letter is the response from the Minister of recreation and Conservation.
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