4 FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2017 Blinds - Draperies - Shutters - Shades Great Selection - Stylish Colours Superior Service - Satisfaction Guaranteed! Superior Service - Satisfaction Guaranteed! A style for every point of view. Enlightened Style™ Window Coverings Solutions for Every Room in Your Home Style and service for every budget.TM Joe & Cathy Gibson, Blackstock 905-213-2583 www.budgetblinds.com/portperry Roller Shades and Panel Tracks Free In-Home Consultation Unfortunately, such careful re- search was not part of the organizer’s preparation. “Many issues weren’t addressed. We assumed he’d thought out food stops, for example, but not so.” While their means of transpor- tation would be old-fashioned, the group was not restricted from using modern conveniences. “We used paved highways and food stores. Eventually, our Dad brought his van to shadow us. He bought supplies and made advance preparations.” Fifty people – altogether a dozen wagons – left Kleinburg in April, 1975. To reach their destination by the proposed August or September, the group needed to log 20 miles daily using a mode of transportation averaging just 3 miles per hour. “Pretty aggressive,” she analyzes today. “And on the second day out, we were stopped dead by a blizzard and lost some time.” Privacy, or a lack of it, was one of the group’s early lessons. “We had media coverage from the start, so reporters followed us, even in private moments. Plus, there were four of us living in a four by twelve foot wagon, sometimes sleeping to- gether like sardines. “We were totally green. But we learned quickly to adapt, just as the original pioneers had done.” The original timeline soon proved impossible. “We weren’t even out of Ontario bySeptember1st!”sherecalls. “When we reached Gladstone Manitoba, we had to call it quits before winter.” When they renewed their quest in the spring, Barbara and her fam- ily would be the only homesteaders remaining from the original group. “We were determined to finish. ‘Come hell or high water’ became our motto!” Being the lone surviving wagon held advantages. “Kind people offered us accom- modation as well as small gifts. The media coverage continued, and people turned out. In the West, they identified with horses, wagons, and trail riding.” The two-part journey was not without its frightening moments. “One morning, our line snapped, so we lost control of the team. We veered toward a ditch and the wagon could easily have rolled. I was thrown out. The wagon ran over my hip and then nearly fell on me. “I’m not a religious person, but I swear divine intervention saved me.” Wildlife also presented potential challenges, and the foursome’s na- ivete would give way to respectful caution. “We were in an area known for grizzly bears. Pure coincidence: a truck loaded with cattle rolled over and the carcasses had to be disposed of in a local dump. Bear after bear cleared that meat within a half-hour. From then on, we were more careful.” A full year after the original anticipated date – August 17, 1976 – Barbara’s wagon pulled into Peace River to a soggy welcome. “The parade had been moved into Our original wagon. This photo is from 1975 showing some of the many weather conditions. This wagon was used in our Port Perry Santa Claus Parade in 1997. Wagons Westward (continued from page 3)