The Epistle of Q — Chapter Fifty-Three (Part B)

Why must work sometimes be set aside?

After Alumni Homecoming Weekend, I remained in Edmonton to do some work with colleagues at CUE (Concordia University of Edmonton). It’s a small university, but one with lots of potential. At the same time it needs considerable extra effort if it is to survive the challenges most inadequately financially-endowed campuses now face. Some of us have various ideas as to how we might combat this; perhaps in the next few months I can share them, if they begin to take hold. The conversations of that week were worthwhile; so that’s a start!

During the week I also spent some time doing some research for a committee I chair at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in Penticton. We are trying to determine whether we need to expand our real estate holdings, turning them into some forms of housing in order to better secure the financial well-being of our congregation. So while I was in Edmonton I visited the site of a similar project at Westmount Presbyterian. I have known that church since my college days and my daughter was married there. I’ve even preached in its pulpit when the congregation was without a minister. Unfortunately that church is no more — the congregation has dwindled somewhat in recent years and the building became very expensive to maintain, heat and generally operate. But they are a resilient group of believers and they decided to partner with a housing cooperative to use their significant ground space to build a most interesting and socially helpful complex. The original church, situated in the middle of the block-long lot, was torn down and a new, smaller edifice is being built at the one end of the lot. This then enabled the housing society to build a major structure that consists of perhaps thirty living spaces. Architecturally-speaking, while not finished, the place shows every sign of being most well-pleasing. It fits into the neighbourhood, right across the street from a school and playground, and the church building itself is extremely functional inside (and it is new, environmentally well built, and will doubtless serve the congregation well for some time to come). After spending more than an hour-and-a-half on the site, looking at all aspects of the complex, I do have to say that while Westmount has made a wise decision to help meet their needs, it does not seem like a model that would work for us. But I’m glad I took the opportunity to check it out.

I did take some time off from work during the week to drive out to Cold Lake to see my mother. Now in her 101st year she continues to live with my sister and other than a persistent desire to meet her maker, she remains mentally sharp and a delight to talk to. I stopped by the local Sobey’s to pick up some broiled chicken, potato wedgies and a couple of salads from their deli. When I got to the condo, she was in fine spirits so we sat down at the table to what she described as a “feast”. Not sure that Sobey’s realizes they provide feasts; but who cares. It was a good time and before I left, my niece and her son dropped by to share in some of the feast while Mother and I chatted. It was a good time and I was glad I was able to take the day and head out for the drive — it also gave me an opportunity to see how harvest was coming (I always enjoy watching the big self-propelled combines doing their thing) and I was able to take a couple of different routes which I hadn’t used in many years.

There is a neat sidebar to this trip: I had managed (with some inadvertent delays) to get from Russ Howard (former curler and presently a curling commentator on TSN) a picture of himself from his curling days for Mother as part of her 100th birthday gift package. It had arrived a few weeks before my trip. I wondered just where it might be placed since she had on her birthday actually received a picture and message from the Queen herself. Well, when I arrived there it was right in the middle of the mantle for all to see. When I asked her where the Queen’s picture was she replied she had to move it somewhere else to have room for the picture from Russ. I then asked why. Her answer: “Because I know this man and he knows curling!” (end of song!!) When I passed that word on to Russ himself he laughed and said, “well chalk that one up Howard 1 – Queen 0!!”

Before leaving on the Sunday, I got together with some different college friends (who hadn’t been at the Homecoming events) for a great Oriental dinner and then went to watch the Esks lose another football game. (At least they got off to a better start than the Lions so they have managed to stay in the playoff race!! And going to Commonwealth Stadium is always a treat — though we discovered later a “lone wolf” had tried to cause some serious, terrifying danger near where we were!) Nevertheless, when I also add in all the times I was able to drop in the Faculty Club at the UofA it was a good week.