The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Bob Barr, who was 10 years-old at the time, came from Oak River, where he and his family had been farming, to Flin Flon on August 20, 1941. Bob's aunt Evelyn and uncle Gordon Rapson were already here, and Bob's parents Tom and Clara Barr came to Flin Flon Ñ like most other people Ñ looking for work. The family along with Bob's other brothers Glen (later to marry Beryl Davidson) and Vern, and his sisters Valerie (later to marry Gerry Nomeland) and Evelyn (later to marry Murray Leask and then Bill McDonald) all lived at 72 Hill Street. The kids were confined to their yard for the first few weeks because everyone was in quarantine because of diphtheria. Bob was 10 years-old when he started at Main School. He recalls some of his teachers as Baldy McLellan and John Wilson, and the students were Duncan Russell, Stanley Johnson, Warren Reynolds, Gus Gasena, Leo Beaulieu, Art Lyons, Gordon Luck and Bill Middaugh Ñ and that was just grade 6. Then in junior and senior high some of the teachers were Miss Bell, Miss Hayes, Johnny Kines (principal), Ivan Hamilton was the superintendent, Miss Medd, and Catherine Hudson (her father was the doctor in Hamiota who delivered Bob and all his siblings). See 'Start' P.# Con't from P.# Bob chummed with Ross Fraser, Jim Block, Jim Rheaume, Vern Storey, Ed Slade, Don and Bob Randall, Bob Lalonde, Paul Floch, Sturk and Winston Hampson, Don Locker, Don Burrows and his own brother Vern Barr. During those years Bob was involved in the model aircraft club, where they would make kits out of balsam wood. He belonged to the Flin Flon Boxing Club from 1944-50 along with Jim Bryson, Paul and Louie Floch, Dick Evans, Stan Waly, Benny Baich, Ross Hillier, Bobby Russell, Ray Ash, and the trainer was Gerry Sullivan. They would have local boxing matches and would also go to Winnipeg to box. Jim Bryson became the Open Welter Weight Champion of Manitoba. Bob belonged to the Air Cadets from 1944-46 and went to camps at Portage la Prairie and Dauphin. His COs were Dwight Dahlgren and Frank Doran. "During that time the COs decided we should do some fund raising and have a dance with a perfume draw, and I think you can see where this is leading... My friend Jim Wheeler suggested that we ask Norma Saddlemeyer and Terry Lalonde, which we did... and that was the start of our long journey together!" As Bob goes on to say, "We dated on and off for quite a while but got engaged at the Lobstick and were married in July 1953 in the Northminster United Church on Hill Street by Rev. Rupp." Norma Saddlemeyer moved to Flin Flon in 1935 from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, with her parents Ed and Ena and her sister Lula and her brother John. Norma's father was a traveller with National Fruit bringing the first case of apples to Flin Flon. On his trip up to Flin Flon he just loved it here and jobs were plentiful so he decided to bring his family and make Flin Flon their home. The family first lived in a "shack tent" up on the rocks, where the flag is now, at Phantom Lake. Norma says, "I remember there was a dance hall over the lake where the merry-go-round is and the change houses were actually on first dock." Norma relates, "My sister Lula went to Hapnot, which was then on Hudson Street. Me and my mom would walk Lula to school because she was afraid of the cows that were wandering around the south end of South Hudson Street." The family moved to First Avenue for that winter of 1935-36. The summer of 1936 the family moved to what would be their home for many years, that being 12 Hudson. Norma started school and went from grades 1 to 3 at Hapnot School on Hudson Street. At that time her teachers were: grade 1 - Mrs. Orim, grade 2 - Miss Anderson and grade 3 - Miss Betts. By this time the Hapnot School had been rebuilt and now was from grades 4 to 12 and was on Hiawatha Street. Some of Norma's teachers were Mr. Alpert, Miss Kiernan and Mr. Kynes. In those days kids graduated from grade 11 (those going into trades, etc.) and then there was graduation from grade 12 with grade 12 being considered as first year university. Norma chummed with Gilda Swychuk, Terry Lalonde, Leion Clarkson, Sally Bottrell, Ethel Quesnel and Norma's sister Lula, and many neighbourhood friends. See 'Our' P.# Con't from P.# Norma stressed that, "growing up here in Flin Flon was great because everyone had come from somewhere else, and at that time none of us kids had been born here and there was no extended family so our friends became our extended family!" "Most of our activities were close to home," Norma goes on to say. "Dad taught us to skate on Hapnot Lake, he would build a big bonfire so we'd keep warm. We'd spend most of our time at Jubilee Park (now Rotary), we practically lived there, we'd slide down the iced slide on cardboard from the top of the rocks at the back of Hill Street. "In the summer after school we'd go to Spirit Lake to swim and on the weekends everyone went to Phantom Lake. We'd walk the foot path out to Phantom Lake and save enough money to catch Doxey's bus home, if we were lucky enough to have some money! "Because we lived on Hudson Street my dad helped build Eddie's Groceries! It was owned by a man named Eddie Loiselle. And because we only had ice boxes, my mom would shop every day." Garbage was picked up by Gardewines, later to become Gardewine and Sons. A man named Palmer, who owned North Star Fuel and Ice, delivered the ice. The family loved the outdoors and their first cabin was at Big Island Lake. Norma smiles, "It was really only a 'shack tent' and we walked out there every weekend spending hours fishing and picking blueberries that we would sell by the square tubful to the Golden Gate Caf." In 1960 Norma's dad bought a cabin at Beaver Lake. And then the families spent their summers out there. While in grade 9, Norma worked at Milt's Place on Saturdays for 30 cents an hour. Bob also worked at Milt's Bottling and delivered Coca Cola. He started in 1943. In 1945-47 Bob was promoted to the front of Milt's Place, from the back, to sell homemade chocolates, ice cream, cigarettes and the first ballpoint pens that came to Flin Flon. In those days, Ernie and Milt Young's father Sam had a second hand store across the street and Ernie would make homemade chocolates there to sell at Milt's Place. In 1946-47 Norma worked as an usher at the Northland Theatre along with Sally Bottrell, Helen Rodgers and Norma's sister Lula. Don Randall took the tickets. "At that time shows cost 35 cents and when I first started I was the popcorn maker," laughs Norma, "and I'd go to the Jubilee Hall on Friday nights to the dances and smell of 'eau du popcorn'!" Then in 1947-48 Norma began working at the Mary Jayne Shop that was owned by Steve and Mary Olench. "We never took home a pay cheque because we spent it all on clothes!" she laughs. School curling was very popular in those days and Norma recalls taking a trip by train to Sherridon to curl for Hapnot. She remembers in 1953 winning her first trophy, the Ostry Event, when she curled with Gwen Jackson, Marilyn Burrows and Joyce Guymer. Norma is still curling to this day. During the '40s and '50s both Bob and Norma agreed there was great music around town and good bands that played at dances such as Wes Vickery, Hugh McBratney and Del Byers. "There was no alcohol allowed at the dances that we went to and we had lots of fun!" Bob and Norma could be seen Ñ like everyone else Ñ 'cruising' down the street in their saddle shoes and draped pants that were the dress code in those days! Once Norma graduated from school she worked in the office at the Co-op store. See 'Summers' P.# Con't from P.# Bob started at HBMS in September 1948 in the machine shop. As a married couple their first home was a suite in the Baldwin Apartments, which was located on Hapnot Street directly across from Verona's. Then they moved to Komanaks on Hapnot Street near the liquor store. Once Norma's dad went to work for Wellgreen Mines in the Yukon, they moved in with Norma's mom, who had a heart condition, at 12 Hudson. While working at HBMS, Bob was also moonlighting working at a door and window business and then maintained pin setters before the string pins came in at the Stag Bowling Alley, for Ernie Chocholik. In 1965 Bob transferred to the Mine Engineering Department. Norma and Bob's daughter Gaye was born in 1954, then along came Ron four years later, and then Verne. The family moved to 71 Phelan, and then Susan and Gordon came along. During the summers the family spent their time at Beaver Lake where the kids learned how to swim. In the winters the family spent their Saturdays and Sundays out at the Ski Club with Ma Crerar always in charge making sure that everything was running properly. The children enjoyed downhill skiing. The couple would also get together with friends to play cards. The family would have many get-togethers and dinners with the Davidson family and the Taylor family and amongst them all there were 15 kids and 6 adults! As Norma stated, "They were friends then and still are friends now!" Norma's sister Lula married John Floch and later Gil Charest and they live in Ottawa. Norma's brother John married Lynn Renaud and they live in Nanaimo. Bob and Norma belonged to the Kinsmen and the Kinettes. Bob was president of that organization in 1966-67 and was instrumental in forming the K-40 club. Bob coached minor hockey while his sons Ron, Vern and Gordon were all involved in it. Other boys that they played with were the Dougalls, Koszkas, the Wielengas, the Jays and the Premachuks who all played at the Whitney Forum or on the figure skating rink. Bob also coached baseball in 1970-73 with kids like Rod Gourlay, Brent Kristoff, the Harrower boys, and Les Mitchell, just to name a few. Meanwhile Norma was very actively involved with Gaye and Susan in their figure skating. She taught Girl Guides along with Delores Baird and Irene Wolden. She was one of the founding members of the Hospital Auxiliary in Snow Lake and in Flin Flon, being a member for 26 years, and was honoured with a Life Membership in 1998. In 1973 the Barr family was transferred to Snow Lake with Bob's job at HBMS. Once in Snow Lake the family made Beaver Lake their summer home. Ron lifeguarded and Verne and Gord worked at Angell's Marine pumping gas and guiding. Gaye and Ron graduated from Hapnot, while Verne and Susan graduated at Snow Lake. Gordon graduated at Hapnot in 1982 after the family had moved back to Flin Flon. Both Norma and Bob stated that, "we felt that all our kids received an excellent education which was the foundation for their future, and we felt that they were well prepared when they left Flin Flon. Flin Flon is a great place to raise kids!" As we all know life just doesn't go along all roses and in 1987 a cloud covered the Barr family when Norma was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was during that time that Norma got involved with the Canadian Cancer Society. She put her energy towards the Reach to Recovery Program which is a program for breast cancer survivors. She smiles as she looks back and states, "My life was enriched with special friends such as Delores Baird, Nancy Lavergne, Lorna Rogan, Gail Baker, Verna Perkins and Ruth Biberdorf, just to name a few." In 1992 Norma received the Silver Award for her work in volunteerism for the Canadian Cancer Society. She is still cancer free to this day. The couple moved to Denare Beach permanently in 1987 and worked very hard to change the cabin into a home with the help of long hours of work by their sons Ron, Verne, Gord, as well as son-in-law Gary. Norma became very involved with the Denare Beach Museum and along with Frank Fieber, Bub Killick and Brenda Avison were the guiding force in its re-opening in a brand new building in 1991. Some of their fabulous memories are the weddings of their children and having Gary, Diana, Randy and Arlene join the family. Norma brightens right up and says, "We have 11 wonderful grandchildren adding much pride and love to our family: Holly, Carrie, Wade, Jace, Brett, Brock, Reid, Eric, Ashley, Kira and Dylan." The United Church plays a big part in their lives. They have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and have absolutely no plans of ever leaving Flin Flon. They travel extensively visiting their children who are all over the world it seems, as well they visit many friends in the four corners of the world. What a wonderful story... thanks for the memories!
