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 Ken
& Bev - Updates
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2021
In spite of another "Covid" year Ken & I have enjoyed many mini holidays in Manitoba. Some were work related trips but we usually managed to do a hike, or just enjoy the scenery of a new location. We have been involved in a few new Heritage work related projects this year, done some volunteer work, and again have met some new people, always a joy. We sometimes have trouble distinguishing between work & play.
We started keeping track of places we have visited and were surprised by how much we experienced. Our “Local Tourism” log is online here:
http://www.virtualmanitoba.com/MB2021/index.html
Ken also continues to work for the Turtle Mountain-Souris Plains Heritage Association on various projects. His latest project, the next booklet of the Vantage Points Series, came out in December.
He was also quite involved with the Manitoba Heritage Summit. Aside from writing a report on Heritage Activity in our Province, he presented the findings, via zoom, at the Second Annual Heritage Summit in October.
Some summer highlights.
We were able to have our 23rd annual 3 day Storie Family gathering in Minnedosa with 41 attending.
Jonah, Geoff, Ken, & I also enjoyed a week with Linda, Cynthia & family at Steep Rock. This was our 3rd year there.
We rented a cabin at Sandy Hook for a week this summer, enjoyed a mini vacation at Hecla Island and enjoyed a night at our favorite Mb. B&B, Aaron’s on Lake Wpg., We stayed a night at the South Beach Casino hotel, another great hotel & location to visit the beaches. We made several day trips to our favourite lakes in Mb. and enjoyed many day hikes to our favourite trails. We even discovered a few new ones.
We had to miss a very special cousins wedding due to C! But they were able to go ahead with it with immediate family. That was our only disappointment this year so we are very fortunate.
Jonah has been with Canadian Tire over 7 years now. He walks a lot and on his days off he usually walks up to our place for a visit. I mean UP, as it is a good climb up the hill. It takes him about 1 3/4 hours. So I usually reward him & feed him a home cooked meal, lol !
Geoff met the love of his life during the Pandemic (oops, wasn’t going to mention it again). He, Kim, and her daughter, Abby, moved into a lovely new spacious apartment in Sage Creek Aug.1. He had been working from home with RBC since Mar 17/20. He was offered a similar position with CIBC only in-branch with an office again, close to home. He started on Nov 1. After 13 1/2 years with RBC it was a huge difficult decision but he’s happy he took the leap.
Looking forward to Christmas Day at Cynthia’s with all of our family, Linda & Ron. Tim & Debbie are hosting a gathering Dec 28th so hoping to be in touch & catch a visit with the Stories that day.
Ken was thrilled to be able to practice music again & his band has a booking for New Year’s Eve. He is hoping it is just the start - it has been a long time since he played.
Band Website....
Maybe next year we can travel out of province to visit some special family members & friends.
We’ve been lucky to have had a few visits over the year with some of them.
Some Photo Highlights
Jan. 1: Our first walk with Jonah - a regular occurence since the latest Covid lockdown.
Exploring - Some new ones and some old favourites...
Despite COVID19 restrictions we did our best to keep in touch - with outdoor visits. Warm weather in March helped.
We travelled from Rivers along the north side of the lake.
Lake Adam Trail
Bunclody
At Hecla we fojund new trails and historic sites on the south end.
While in the Interlake we visited Arborg.
Assinboine Corridor Trail
We explored some new trails in Brandon's East End
On a visit to Clear Lake we hiked the rail to Deep Bay.
Elk Island
Eternal Springs
We toured the area north of Cypress River.
Earlier in the year Ken and Gordon Goldsborough has passed this was on an unsiccessfull search for the steamboat "Alpha"
The Ladysmith area.
Near the site of Lord Elphinstone's Ranch
Wew have explored the Millofrd area many times, but this is the first time we hikes the railway line to the old bridge.
We hadn't visited the Old Pinawa Dam in a log time - this time.
Wew took advantage of an early spring to explore Portage with Donna and Dave and enjow and vice vist and lunch at an outdoor patio in Late March.
Riverdale area...
While on a hike at the Squirrel Hills trails near Minnedosa we spoted this in the distance...remains of a rail line that ran from Minnedoa to Riverdale and Rapid City.
Lac Du Bonnet
ON one of several trips to Winnipeg....the Kettle - a tribute to the Metis Community, was desined by Ian August, Donna and Dave's nephew.
Salem Methodist Church - on the road to Eternal Springs.
A road in the Summervile district NE of Carberry. We also walked several abandonned old road allowances that are now "Conservation Corridorrs."
We found some new trails in Souris Bend in the areas between our old favourites at Lang's Crossing and Gregory's Mill.
Steeprock
We took crossed the Assiniboine at Stockton Ferry where we met the operator, Herb Hutlet, a classmate from Rosehill School back in the late 50's.
Scenes like this were highlights of that trip.
Work
Belmont - We were creating a Heritage Tour for the Municipality.
Exploring the Prairie Lakes RM - near Dunrea
Medicine Hill - near Hilton
We've been helping a friend create an Interpretive Sign for the former village of Wakopa. Ken has written and will soon publish a booklet about the site.
Off the presses in Dec 2021.
The site of the Chapman Museum.
For more details about sites mentioned, we have two extensive photos collections:
For places in Manitoba:
http://www.virtualmanitoba.com/Places/index.html
For Travel Photos
http://www.kenstorie.ca/Travel/index.html
For Work Related Information...
http://www.kenstorie.ca/index.html