Vancouver

by

With love from Vancouver (1987)

with love from Vancouver

28/9 Dearest Hilary & Simon, Saw this statue in Stanly Park where I’m now sitting with Dad looking out at the Pacific. I thought of you – what a lot we’ll have to talk about now. Weather is lovely, warm & hazy – lots of yachts going by. NO STRIKE YET SO WILL WRITE AGAIN. Still can’t believe we’re here. Van excellent Take care, love always Mum & Dad

Mum is very excited to be in Canada and to share news with us. Presumably there was a threat of a postal strike which would have been frustrating (this was before electronic communication was widely available).

The card is postmarked 29 IX 1987 and carries a 72 cent stamp from the 1987 fourth release of the Heritage Artefacts Definitive Series.

On the front is a view from Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park.

In 1987 both my parents were able to negotiate a rare three weeks off work for their trip to tour Vancouver and British Columbia in a camper van. Exactly 30 years later their granddaughter made a similar journey – they have enjoyed comparing routes, notes and photos 🙂

by

with love from Vancouver (c1983)

With love from Vancouver Island

Dear Hilary, Well here we are in beautiful B.C. We’ve been here a week and it’s great. We took a bus out here and it was awful. So far it’s been hot in the day and a bit chilly at night. We’re on Vancouver Island right now. We’ve been to a few lakes which are cool but nice. Lots of mountains and trees. My pack is too heavy again. It’s easy getting rides here. We’re off to Jasper and Banff soon. Talk to you soon, love Craig

There is no date on this card and the postmark is not legible. However, the wood stove heritage stamp was issued in April 1983.

The picture on the front is of North Vancouver Island. There is no clue as to who his companion is, but from the descriptive status update Craig sounds happy to be travelling again.

Back in the day Craig and I hitch hiked from Toronto to Los Angles (with very heavy packs, hence the references above). The story of that trip is probably a whole other blog! Since his death, I am the sole custodian of those memories…