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Golden Moments: Finding a perfect home in Golden

Ron Landry was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and, lived on the east coast of Canada until he was 20 years old.
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It was a long trip from Moncton to Golden for Ron Landry who still enjoys getting out into the natural world that surrounds him.

Ron Landry was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and, lived on the east coast of Canada until he was 20 years old.

When he was younger, Landry said he kept himself busy and took his first job at the age of 14.

Eventually he would make his way to Winnipeg, where he thought he was going to start a new job. Upon his arrival in Winnipeg he got a surprise that would bring him further west.

“I got there and found out I was going to be transferred to Kamloops,” he said.

After staying in Kamloops for about 15 years Landry moved to the Kootenays and eventually landed in Golden where he has lived for the past 50 years.

“I was working in the sawmills in Golden. I had been working for the railway but it was not as good a paying job as what it was at the mills,” he said. “I went to the sawmills and started pulling wood chips from Donald to Golden.”

Eventually Landry would get his own truck and start moving gravel in the area. He does remember when Donald was a busier town than it is today.

“It was a big place where many people lived. Donald was quite a large place at one time. It was a good place to work,” he said.

A passion for hunting and fishing was one of the reasons why Landry made the decision to stay in Golden. He explained he got his first licence on the east coast when he was only 15 years old.

“I went out on my first day (after getting his licence on the east coast) and got a deer. I was pretty lucky but if I had more experience shooting on the first day I could have had the buck and the doe,” he said “Golden has good fishing and hunting. I was getting tired of moving, so I decided that I wanted to settle here and I did.”

At the age of 46, Landry suffered a heart attack that would end his days working.

“They put me on a pension and I have been living this way ever since,” he said. “My working days were done.”

Even though Landry has not worked in a number of years that does not mean he has not found ways to keep himself busy.

“I always find something to do and have places to go. I go to visit my children and grandchildren,” he said. “Keeping busy is important. I like to go fishing up at the creek but they (speaking about the regulations that limit the number of fish you can catch) have messed that up. All you can get is five little fish and that is hardly worth going up there for.”

Landry said he remembers going out fishing with his own children back when they were younger.

“I used to take my kids up there and we would get 45 to 50 little ones, and we never fished it out,” he said. “That was a fun thing to do. I did that with my dad when I was a kid and it stuck with me with my kids.”

Landry said that Golden has become bigger over the years but has not changed in many ways.

“There are still the same people all around though some are gone now. I go and sit by the post office and years ago you would know everybody but now you see the odd person you know,” he said.