Man of the House

My father was fortunate to escape the ravages of a war torn Europe at the age of 14, but from that moment on our family was forever fragmented. Some members were lost to sickness and many were left behind as he and my grandfather boarded a steamship bound for Canada. 

He shouldered his childhood trauma silently and as a young man used his will and youthful vigour to learn how to build. Summers were spent on the northern pipeline and later, as a young man building homes, he was quick to develop skills and became a stickler for quality.

A story I learned at his funeral in 1994 was that he saved up to buy basic tools. He admired the  red metal box and filled it with the basics and a hammer that was yet to squarely drop on the head of a nail. He marched down to a work site and promptly traded his new tool box for another worker's scratched and dented one. In order to be accepted as a professional he must surely look the part.

Our first family home was built in 1907 and quite run down. Our father spent the following decades renovating as we lived out our daily lives. He worked after hours and on weekends and drywall dust became a way of life as he slowly brought the old structure back to life. 

I showed interest in the process and he seemed glad to pass me the hammer and teach me the fundamentals of home repair. He nurtured a confidence in me and I soon had the ability to tackle challenges and make improvements and this contributed to my life long passion for character home restoration. 

The photo is circa 1958, Granville Street Vancouver. Famed Photographer Foncie Pulice. This frozen moment of movement - a man caught in his prime, fills me with joy daily.  I am eternally grateful that he encouraged me to participate in what was often thought of as ‘man’s work’. 

Questions that often come up about his larger than life photo:

-Where was he going that evening, dressed so well? A: The Commodore Ballroom Dance Hall 

-What’s in his pocket? A: A ticket to collect the photo from Foncie’s corner booth

-What’s in his left hand? A: Handkerchief

-What is in the package? D: A mickey of Rye