I was editor of The Whiteshell Echo four years. During that time I had the privilege of driving often through the PreCambrian Shield, enjoying nature and meeting great people. I called it work.
Favourite places were the Alf Hole Goose Sanctuary and Betula Lake. The president who hired me had a cottage at Betula, which means birch in Latin. We often sat in the summer sun as she caught me up on the latest gossip, and I stored it in the not-for-publication file.
Once Diane and I went on a beaver run with a trapper and his two sons. It was a beautiful winter day as we drove from trap to trap with three snowmobiles, one pulling the ”Coffin”, in which was stored their gear, and two pulling us. It was called that because it looked like one. It became, of course, the final resting place for beaver caught in the traps. It made quite a sight, three moving sleds traversing the frozen lakes.
On another occasion I accompanied firefighters in a light plane as they flew over the Whiteshell to dump water on the flames.
Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake were the heart of the southern half of the park. You got good meals there at low prices. The restaurants there were popular for cottagers to take summer guests out to dinner.
Visiting resorts from north to south became wonderful weekends in summer. Photo possibilities were endless. Of course, we’d come across a bear, and the camera would be out of reach on the back seat.
Evening boat rides were refreshing in the setting sun, especially on Betula Lake with President June our hostess.
The danger of being a freelancer is that you can become the victim of politics in an organization. I loved my job and would have stayed forever, but a new president had a friend he wanted as editor. So I didn’t get a third two-year contract.