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Children in front of the Hosking General Store
1962
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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Barbara (on the left) helped out at the store as a child. Sometimes Mildred would give her small gifts in return for sweeping the floor or making up boxes of groceries. Later on, as a teenager, she worked for Mildred after school, on weekends and during the holidays.

In this interview from 2004, Barbara remembers working for Mildred Hosking during the late 50s and early 60s.

"And then when I was nine, no ten, I used to sweep and clean outside, and pack groceries, and do the barrels, clean the coolers, dip you down in the cooler and clean all the ice out of the cooler.

We used to clean out the car, make up boxes, and tape the bottoms. Like it was just more fun. You'd get to go over there. You'd get to come up from school and go over there, 'cause everyone was there. You know, just meet after school. She would give you little gifts. Oh stuff like that. Yep.

And then when I was what six, seventeen I think it was, I worked over there after school. Packed groceries. Used to drive groceries up to the lodge, go down the East Jeddore. Deliver groceries after school and Saturday morning. Work in the store Saturday, Friday and Saturday morning."