1

Some intergenerational differences
16 August 2006
2795 Ness Ave, Living Prairie Museum, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

2

Maybe for more people Gram's age and stuff, I think that the prairie is probably not as important cause they had more of it. I don't know, I just think that. But now like with Dad's generation and my generation maybe it's more important cause people are realizing that there's like less than one per cent of it. So, but I don't know because people my generation don't seem to really care about that stuff either. So, it's kinda sad to see it not as important as it should be.

3

Was life easier or more difficult?
18 June 2005
2795 Ness Ave, Living Prairie Museum, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Credits:
Image from: Winnipeg Free Press, June 18, 2005

4

It's kinda both, like I think that they had it harder in terms they had to work harder to get money and stuff like that, because now we have machines that do everything for us. But I think sorta socially they had it easier, because there's a lot of pressures put on kids nowadays, and a lot more emphasis on materialistic stuff. So it's a lot easier to become obsessed with money and having a fancy car and stuff, whereas back then you just had, like, one choice for everything and that stuff didn't matter so much. So, but like it's kinda a different life in the city, well, you know, than it is living outside, like on a farm or something, because there's a lot less emphasis on materialistic stuff. So you find yourself more, living a bit more of a laid back lifestyle, like Grams and Dad did, when they were younger--or what I imagine they did--when they were younger, as opposed to why, or how kids live now and stuff.

So you're happy that you got to grow up in the country?

Yeah, oh yeah. I think it's a lot better than yeah, growing up in the city.

5

Fresh air for Baby John
6 June 2006
Pioneer Quest, Argyle, Manitoba

6

From Mom.

Sitting out on the porch?

Yeah, Mom used to um, when we lived...I guess, I was in Barrie, Ontario. I guess, you moved to Owen sound. Like I don't remember this, this is just the story I've been told. But we lived, apparently in this beautiful place, beside a river.

Oh yeah. Moltens. (sic)

Moltens right, and you had the upstairs...

We had the upstairs, they were downstairs.

And it overlooked the river, and a dam on the river, right? Mom has told me this, and Dad and my sisters. And Mom used to put me outside in the winter time on this deck, I guess it was an upstairs deck. And the river was running, because there was a dam, it never froze, so there was always water and you could hear the water and Mom would put me out to get fresh air. Now, Ontario winters are not as cold as here, but I guess there was, there was snow, eh?

Yeah.

And Mom would put me out in the carriage, so I would go to sleep listening to the river and get fresh air and that. Why I love the outdoors to this day, and when Mom told me I thought, YES! That's a reason for it! (laughs) So it's all your fault, Mom!

All my fault. Needed fresh air.

Well, that's not a bad thing to have, so, you know. I mean, when I go driving in the winter time, I still open the windows and I don't even know I'm doing it. And Carol looks at me and it's like -30, and I have the window open--I just love the fresh air! I've always been like that. So...I think it's Mom's fault! (laughs) eh?

I tell ya you slept.

He what, sorry?

He slept!

He slept, yeah?

Oh yeah! (laughs)

Put me to sleep.

7

We had no choice
1940



Credits:
Image Courtesy of Glenbow Archives NA-5550-4

8

I don't think so. They...She wants to be a nurse and...she'll get it. She, not that she'll get it, she's working for it. Working for it darn hard. But even so, it was a different life. It...we worked too. But we had to take what they had. We had no choice. We didn't have University education, no, I was lucky I went into Grade Ten, finished Ten and then back to work. But it was good.