(Note: I have included a number of photos from the event I talk about in my column, the unveiling of the Tommy Douglas statue a decade ago, with Kiefer Sutherland present in our city for the ceremonies. You might recognize yourself in the crowd when he stood by his grandfather’s statue – he also visited the TC Douglas Centre, and took part in the ceremonies at the Legion Hall; there are people in these photos who have since passed on, but the event left an indelible mark on this city and in many people’s lives.)
Almost exactly 25 years ago, I had my first view of Weyburn in a rented truck with all of our stuff, driven by my father-in-law, Ken Golder. We were heading down Highway 39, and the first view I had was of the big concrete grain terminals.
My first night in this city was a room in the now-demolished Weyburn Inn, and I came in to work at the Review — and you may not believe this, but we were using typewriters to type up our copy.
We soon had new Macintoshes brought in and we began upgrading the technology used. Photo-wise, we were using black-and-white film that we rolled, and developed and printed in our darkroom.
Today, there are no more negatives to get scratched, and it’s all in colour in high-definition digital format … and no typewriters.
I sometimes miss film in the camera — but then I go out and shoot hundreds of frames at a day-long event, and the feeling goes away. I couldn’t even imagine how many rolls I’d have to go through, and all the developing and print-making … and, I can type this column on the computer and see the words as they form on the page without doing it up the “old-fashioned” way.
I do appreciate having learned it that way, because it’s given me an understanding of how the newspaper is put together.
Over the years, I’ve met a lot of people and covered some truly extraordinary events — but it’s the stories about people that have stayed with me.
One feature story that I recall enjoying writing was an interview with a 14-year-old girl who survived a heart problem and learned how to go on with her life. Today, Jacquie Walbaum is a mom and musician who live out Stoughton way (her daughter Micah is a remarkable musical talent too).
An event that stands out in my memory was meeting Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland when he came to help unveil the statue of his grandfather, Tommy Douglas. I remember he was incredibly patient and warm no matter how many people wanted to talk to him or get his autograph.
Those are but two examples out of many, many memories that I have, and I will share some more memories in the coming weeks.
