1934 – 1935
I arrived home from Chicago in the fall of 1934. I was still unable to find employment in Winnipeg. Pearl Uhryn, an acquaintance, told me her parents were splitting up and her mother was opening a boarding house in Kirkland Lake. They needed help and asked if I was interested in taking the job. Pearl and I thought it would be fun working together so I accepted. I was to receive $15.00 a month plus room and board, but there was initially no mention of paying for my train fare.
Just before we left Pearl’s father told me that he paid my fare. But shortly after our arrival Pearl’s mother told me I would be receiving $5.00 less each month until my fare was repaid. I was left with a monthly wage of $10.00. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her I knew it was already paid. I guess because it wouldn’t have done any good.
The Association of United Ukrainian Canadians1 had branches across Canada including Kirkland Lake. Everybody was welcome. It was a wonderful place to make friends and I had a need to be with people. I went out most evenings to a concert, play, dance or just to sit around in a restaurant chatting over coffee.
Nobody told me what my working hours would be, and I didn’t think to ask. I of course expected the family to be normal and reasonable. I was woken at four a.m. every morning. I worked all day non-stop and after dinner had a tub full of dishes to wash and lunches to make for the miners. If I finished all my work, it would have been too late to meet my newfound friends, so I left dishes and lunches till after my outing. All the work was still there waiting for me when I got back. My so-called friend Pearl, or her mother, never once picked up a towel to help.
It was usually close to midnight before I finished my chores and got to bed; I had to be up at four a.m. and often fell asleep standing. I did not have a return ticket or money to leave. I didn’t write home as I was sure my parents had financial problems of their own.
On Christmas Eve, which happened to be a Saturday,2 a friend offered to babysit his niece so his sister could go out. He asked if I would like to keep him company. I was happy to get away, so I hurried to wash the dishes. There were no lunches to make as the following day was Xmas.
When we were on our way out Pearl’s mother told me I had to stay in and iron clothes. Pearl said, “We’re leaving,” and out we went. At that point I realized Mrs. Uhryn couldn’t fire me. I doubt she would have been able to replace me with another employee that would be as easy to exploit. At the same time, I also felt trapped. I had no money and nowhere to go.
The friend I went out with Christmas eve bought me a scarf. It was my very first Christmas present ever. I was delighted! I loved my gift and especially the thought. Then Pearl told me it was a cheap scarf. They sold them at Woolworths where she worked.
A group of people from The Association of United Ukrainian Canadians organized a cross country skiing trip one Sunday. I really wanted to go just to get away from the boarding house. I was able to borrow a pair of skis but didn’t have any warm clothing. That didn’t matter at the time because I hadn’t had a day off since I arrived and wanted desperately to get away. I pleaded with Mrs. Uhryn to let me go, she finally said yes, most likely because everybody in the boarding house knew how much it meant to me. The weather on that special Sunday fell well below zero so they cancelled the outing. I dreaded having to go back to the boarding house when I didn’t have to, so I talked my friend into going skiing with me. Because of delays we were late getting started. We skied quite a way out when it started getting dark. We turned around and barely made it back. It was a miracle we didn’t freeze to death. My friend was ill for about two weeks. I survived and was up and working the following day. But at least I had a day off.
The boarders were all kind and decent people with the exception of a new European immigrant who seemed to have been raised with little respect for women. One time he grabbed me at the bottom of the stairs when nobody was around. I was not sure what was coming next and didn’t wait to find out. I pushed him away, ran up the stairs and knocked on a door where two brothers roomed, Jim and Bert Ritchie. I don’t recall seeing that man again. My guess would be the brothers may have suggested he leave.
Jim and Bert were two fine, quiet young men who seemed to be looking out for me. Once I was resigned to being there forever, they told me they were going to Toronto and happened to have an extra train ticket. They asked if I would like to go with them. They knew my sister Olie lived in Toronto. I was delighted to leave after four cold winter months getting an average of four hours sleep a night. I believe I slept all the way home on the train.
When we arrived in Toronto the brothers took me to Olie’s place in a cab. Because she wasn’t expecting me, they made sure she was home and I was settled in before they left. They came by two or three times in the next month or so to see if all was well.
Olie’s husband Oscar later told me that he met Jim Richie in an army barracks in western Canada. Jim told Oscar that his younger brother, Bert, went overseas and was killed in the war. I’ll never forget the two kind and wonderful brothers.
Next Chapter: Escapades in Niagara Falls
1 The Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, known at one time as the Ukrainian Labour Farmer Temple Association, is a cultural and educational non-profit. See also Note 11. Return
2 This recollection appears to be incorrect. Christmas Eve fell on a Monday in 1934 and Tuesday in 1935. Return