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.
Marg Wallaker came to Flin Flon in 1934 at the age of one year accompanied by her parents Alice and Henry Wilson. When they first came to Flin Flon, Henry worked in the mine and the family lived in a cabin at Mile 86. Then the family moved to North Avenue. "Much to the chagrin of my mother," laughs Marg, "because we had a bootlegger next door and the 'ladies of the night' lived just across the street!" Later the family moved to Mile 84 where they lived till her parents left Flin Flon Ð with Marg staying here. Marg worked in the coffee shop at Harold Wigg's grocery store (now Vic's Decorating Supplies). In the early years, Marg recalls curling with her dad at the Ross Lake Curling Club around 1944 and later she curled on a ladies team with Ellie Trudeau. Then, in 1958, Marg went on her own but always curled at Ross Lake on natural ice. The rink had six sheets then. At that time there were eight afternoon rinks with about 12-16 ladies' evening rinks curling two nights a week. The men also curled twice a week with full draws which had about 24 teams, plus two full draws on Friday night mixed. "We used to have to stand in line to register, there were so many wanting to curl!" Marg said. Marg started playing ball at the age of 14. She played for the Legion Ladies team and had Hal Dahlstrom and Ken Hoffman as coaches. There were four ladies teams including the Legionettes, the Vics and the Rogues. The fourth one she couldn't remember. Later new teams joined such as the Ramblers. The only older players on the teams were the pitchers and catchers. They played at Foster Park. Marg met the love of her life, Garfield Wallaker, through friends in 1950. They were married in 1952 and lived in a suite in town for only a short time. They moved to Channing in 1952 and lived there ever since. At that time Channing had one grocery store, coffee shop, taxi stand and post office (run by Fran Gagne). Leone Guibault owned the grocery store and Cliff and Ester McIntyre ran the taxi business. Later another grocery store and taxi business was established. There was also a bottling business and a hotel in Channing before 1952. They were no longer there when Marg and Garfield move there. But the part of the hotel that was the bar had been turned into a dance hall and was owned by the Vancoughnett family. By then Channing had "a real ball team" known as the Channing Clippers with Bunny Burke and Donna Chev/Nelson playing for them. Channing and Creighton had a real competition going on with their ball teams. There was also a team called Ostry's by then, too, and the women would play ball at Channing School ball park, Creighton ball park, Queen's Park as well as at Foster Park. The men played fastball then as well. There were a Smelter team, Creighton and a Channing team who also played at Foster Park, Channing and Creighton. Marg and Garfield had five children, two girls and three boys. The kids went to the ball games as well. In those days people rarely got a baby-sitter. Marg worked for 2 and 1/2 years at the Cash 'n Save store and then at the Co-op meat department when Nyall Hyndman was the boss. She remembers working with Ross Livesey, Donnie Zollen and Bonnie Stonehouse. Marg also recalls working part time at the Lobstick when Garfield could baby-sit. (They'd work opposite shifts). Garfield started in the Tank House in June of 1951. He later took his electrical apprenticeship and then he branched out on his own starting Wallaker Electric in about 1972. In the meantime, Marg was still curling and her team of Marion Lekopoy, Rita Chute and Babe Evans went to curl in Thompson in the Senior Zones. They won up there defeating Hazel Steinthorson who had won it the year before, and went on to curl in St. Vital. They curled eight games losing only one, in the A-B final. Marg stopped curling in 1990 after Garfield retired. They spent many winters in Arizona in their new motor home. They also spent much time camping and fishing and playing golf (Garfield more than Marg). They spent many hours playing cards with their neighbours and going snowmobiling. Marg has been active with the Legion Ladies Auxiliary for about 30 years. Gar was a member of the IOOB for about 10 years. Gar passed away on July 4, 2003. Today, Marg spends much of her time with the Legion Ladies, watching curling both live and on TV, and she enjoys doing a lot of baking. She has seven grandchildren, with four living in Flin Flon. She loves having family dinners. Thanks for sharing this interesting story with us Marg. You have a great memory!
