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Golden Moments: Nothing feels better than being in Golden

Bill Ewing moved to Golden in 1971 and never looked back.
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Bill Ewing came to Golden partially for his health but also for the great view.

Bill Ewing knew the time had come to leave Ontario and found the perfect place to call home after visiting family in Golden.

Ewing  came to Golden in 1971 from Chatham, Ontario.

He said that one of the main reasons the move was made, was because of his issues with arthritis.

“I came out here for a visit to see my father-in-law and it cleared up so I decided to stay.”

Ewing said that the dry air in the mountains is much better for him compared to the dampness in the air back east.

When he came to Golden the town left a unique first impression on him.

“When my wife and I got off the train, we thought we had gone back in time,” he said. “They still had hitch rails in front of the old lodge where the hostel is now. Even the train station with the wooden platform looked like something from the past.”

How the town looked was just the start for Ewing who also fell in love with the mountains.

“I liked the scenery. If I go back to Ontario for a holiday, I can’t wait to get back because  everything changes every day. You look out your window and there are different shapes in the mountain.”

The first winter Ewing spent in Golden was one filled with heavy snow.

“We had lots of snow back then. I know in 1971 when I was living in the trailer court, I remember shovelling snow off the roof of my trailer, but I had to throw it up in the air,” he said. “We had a tunnel going from our door out to the road.”

Ewing spent a numbers of years working at the mill in Donald.

“Me and my cousin would be working outside when it was minus 20 in our T-shirt. People looked at us kind of funny, but it was different than Ontario. It wasn’t damp, it was dry,” he said. “I miss that mill since it closed down.”

One thing he does not miss from those days is moving around the railway ties that were produced at the mill.

Ewing said they were dangerous to move and workers really had to watch their feet when working with them.

The friendliness of the people is something that has never changed since Ewing moved to Golden.

“If you went into a store people would talk to you and ask if you wanted anything. Back in Chatham you did not know your neighbours. People kept to themselves. Here, I knew almost everyone in the trailer park in a week. The people did and still make you feel welcomed,” he said.

Ewing said things have changed in Golden, many businesses have come and gone over the years, but that is just the way things go.

“It has gotten a lot bigger and they have cleaned the town up quite a bit. It seems to get better every year. Some of the older buildings looked scruffy, and they have resurfaced them and made them more modern. It makes it look like home. That’s just the way of life.”

Ewing did not enjoy his retirement as much as he hoped he would, so when he is not working part time at Tru Hardware he volunteers with The Royal Canadian Legion in Golden.

“It is to support the vets. It is important to keep the Legion going. Those people serve our country and we need to support them,” he said.

 

To see a previous Golden Moments about Joan Grant click here.

To see a previous Golden Moments about Corey Duncan click here.