eee a nm enn oes my PINES OFA INE, TI A ham o—- a Page 12 Cassiar Courier March 1987 This month we present long time Cassiar residents, CIRIL and JOAN HABJAN. Active citizens, they are both well known for their volunteer work. It was a great pleasure to interview these fine people, as their open friendliness and candor in providing information made it a pleasant experi- ence for me. How does a fello from Ljubljana, a major town in the Republic of Slovenija in Yugoslavia, meet a girl from St. Brendans Island, 11 miles from the mainland of New- foundland? And further more, how do such diverse characters both end up in Clinton Creek, Yukon so the romance can take place? That is a story! As a child Ciril Habjan became enamoured with the Yukon through his reading of Jack London’s books. His imagination was sparked and to travel to the Yukon became a goal in his life. Before immigrating to Canada in 1967, Ciril worked and travelled in Europe, but Canada was his destiny, and he arrived in Winnipeg in October of 1967. He was employed as a machinist and worked in the con- struction field at the Kettle Rapids project at Nelson River in Northern Manitoba. But the call of the north was strong! Ciril wanted to see the Yukon. Finally, in January, 1970.he and three of his friends drove from Winnipeg to Clinton Creek in the Yukon. “We drove for 72 hours straight!” says Ciril, “stopping only for gas and food. Two miles from Clinton Creek, the whole lot of us ended up in the ditch! Well the Personnel Manager looked at our license plate and asked us if we had driven all the way from Winnipeg to Clinton to get a job?’ We said, yes - and he said “You've got it!” Ciril hired on in the mill with Stan Kuchinski as a labourer and two months later there was an opening as a millwright which is his trade. In 1971 he was pro- moted to Mill Maintenance Foreman, which he continued as until the closure of the mine. A devout Catholic, Joan had dreams of becoming a nursing-missionary; but with the responsibility of assist- ing her mother with the younger children and the work that entailed, it was not to be. In June of 1969 Joan decided to visit her brother in Vancouver. She ended up employed as a clerk in a dress shop in Richmond. While flipping through the newspaper, she happened to notice a job advertised for a clerk in the store at a place called Clinton Creek. She applied, only to learn the job had been filled, but they offered her a job in the lab and she accepted. Arriving at Clinton on September 29, 1969, Joan says she was amazed to find herself the ninth single girl among two hundred single men! It was “heaven”! Her immediate residence was a house shared with three other girls. “It was one big family!” says Joan. “‘I threw my first curling stone in Clinton Creek in October of 1969!” Special occasions in Clinton were always marked with social gatherings. “It was a close knit community where everyone mixed together.” says Joan. Transferring from the lab at the mill into the re- tail store in 1970, Joan worked as a retail clerk until 1976. From 1976 until 1978 she was the store manager and was also the Postmistress for the two months prior to the mine closing. According to Ciril, it was “instant-interest’’ when he first saw Joan in the cookery. He was sitting with his friend, Bruno, when he noticed Joan walking by. “She had her nose in-the air,”’ comments Ciril and he said to his friend, “‘That’s one fine looking woman!” With a little help from Bruno and Joan’s friend, Helen Bullock, Ciril finally arranged to meet the girl of his dreams. However, it was a two-way street. Since they both worked at the mill, Joan ended up riding to work with Ciril. “Instead of taking the bus,”’ says Joan, ‘I had my escort!” With shift work, romance was difficult; but true love always finds its way! Ciril and Joan were married on December 30th, 1971. “It was 68 degrees be- low zero!” comments Ciril, “but it was a cold start to a Hot Marriage!” ' ‘ ‘ ' ‘ ‘ ‘ ' ' ‘ ‘ ' ' 1 ' ' i) ‘ 1 ' 1 ‘ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ‘ ‘ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 1 Joan and Ciril with friend, Helen Bullock at Tok, Alaska in 1970 - Their first ‘real date’! The Habjans continued working at Clinton until its closure. Joan was transferred to Cassiar as the Assist- ant Store Manager and Ciril was one of the last employees to leave Clinton. He transferred to Cassiar as a Millwright Maintenance Foreman until 1982 when he became Plant Maintenance Supervisor. Joan says one of her happiest days in Cassiar was the new addition to the grocery store in November, 1980. “Tt was a relief to get away from the basement - no more shovelling water!” Curling is the major interest that the couple share. Ciril also threw his first curling rock at Clinton Creek, and he and Joan are both actively involved here in Cassiar. Travelling to Aviemore, Scotland for the week of Invitational Highland Curling, both in 1980 and 1981, has been the highlight of Ciril’s curling life. On his first trip, Joan. accompanied him, and together with Cecile Pratt, were the “cheerleaders” from Canada. As the Membership and Rules Committee Chair- man on the Executive of the Curling Club, as well as curl- ing himself several nights per week Ciril is kept very busy. He is also a volunteer fireman for Cassiar. GE ERAL MEETING WED. MARCH 11th — AT 7:30 p.m. IN THE UPPER LEISURE ROOM ALL FORMER MEMBERS ARE URGED TO ATTEND Joan is also a curling enthusiast and very active in Our Lady of Lourdes Mission. She is a lay reader and a member of the Pastoral Council, which requires time . spent actually making sure things are done around the church itself. She is,also the lady in charge of the annual Catholic Ladies Bazaar which takes place annually on the last Saturday in November. With all of their community volunteer time, they still each have their own hobbies. Ciril is an avid fisher- man and he and long time friend, Stan Kuchinski, catch many a fine speciman on their trips together. “I love to read, but can’t get to it as much as I would like.” says Ciril. Joan enjoys her home time too. She is an excellent cook, and sews, knits and crochets. The couple enjoy travelling together and take hol- idays in Europe where they see Ciril’s family as well as to Newfoundland to visit with Joan’s relatives. “In between, we enjoy camping.” they both agreed. “We love the North, especially the Yukon and have spent much time In the different historical places. Dawson City,” contin- ues Ciril, “is probably my most favorite romantic spot. I dreamed of being there as a child, and to have accomp- lished it was wonderful!” : This happily married couple, Ciril and Joan Habjan, are a great asset to our community. They exhibit a positive attitude towards Cassiar. Recently appointed General Foreman, Mill Maintenance, Ciril looks forward to the years ahead. “Weare a ways off from retirement and have enjoyed life here.” says Ciril. “Keeping busy,” comments Joan, “prevents you from becoming bored which can lead to feelings of dis- satisfaction.” There is no doubt that the Habjans will ever be bored. Even if all that they are involved with were to be discontinued, they would still have one another. There is enough joy and energy shared between them to make life very interesting! sc a ET Se a SR eee * re on. Ne Trump by Kees van der Pol. Four games have been-played since the Febru- ary Courier results. Since that last update a new scor- ing system has been in place, which determines total points by using a player’s percentage play (of a perfect score) against the total number of boards and players played, As a result of this change and on the basis of the four games recently played, Claudia Huber and Mario Gimmi are tied for the lead with 35.267 new points. Kees is third with 35.146 and Mayumi van der Pol is fourth with 34.053 points. Since the last update there have been three 3- Table games and one 2%-Table game. On January 20th, Mario came in first, Jasman Yee and Antoine Beursken were second, with Kees and Mayumi rounding out third place. = On January 27 Cary Moffat and Lorraine Lan- teigne wound up in first place (a nice surprise, especially to them), Sherry Sethen and Claudia were second, and John Lanteigne and Doug Desjardins were third. The February 3rd game was an extremely close game with only 3% points separating 1st and 5th place. John Little and Mario worked their way to first place with 28%, Kees and Mayumi were second with 27, Doug and John Lanteigne were third with 26%, and Sherry and Claudia were fourth with 26 points. The final game to report occurred on February 10th. Sherry and Claudia came first overwhelmingly with 14% points with Father Ivan McCormick and Jim second with 10% points. Bridge Club Want to spend a pleasant even- ing? Come play bridge each Tuesday at 730 p.m. in the Upper Leisure Rootn in the your budget. never let go. The best cure for cabin fever is to jump on something hot. __ There's nothing hotter than a new Polaris snow- mobile on sale. For a limited time, selected models will have price tags guaranteed to warm your heart, but not _ Come see all the cures for cabin fever today. Warning: Once a Polaris gets into your system, it may P¢sLARiS Nothing beats the way we're built. Ptarmigan Lorraine Lanteigne Players The Ptarmigan Players are now into their third year of operating as a club. The productions and gather- ings of the past have been successfull ventures because of time given and talent of the group. It has been inter- | esting to see the development of different individuals when it comes to their talents. Each and every player can recall the pre-excite- ment of a production, the thrill of carrying off a success and the public attention surrounding the individual in- volved. ‘Something to be proud of! A group such as this cannot exist without active support by its membership. One or two individuals cannot carry the load of responsibility for every production. We are looking for directors! If you are interested in directing a production contact Norma Ray or myself. You will be guaranteed support from the players! We are now into rehearsal for the R.C.M.P. Ball. It’s shaping up to be a lot of fun for all. David Glynn- Jones recently sent up a couple of one act comedies, and the players are busy planning another production. Our next monthly meeting will be held March 15th in the upper leisure room at 7:30 P.M. Come on out and join the fun. It will be a social event, and guests of the players are welcome. FITNESS CLUB by Vicki Willis In the past few weeks the fitness club has seen a significant drop in membership in the evening classes. These classes are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7:00 P.M, at the high school gym. They are mostly a moderate to intense bounce aerobic ‘class. A circuit training with the involvement of light weights is one night. : The other class held Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30 at the rec center gym has’ seen an increase in participants since being changed to those mornings. This class is a low impact (no bounce) aero- bics for beginners to moderate with the children of the participating moms welcome. Any one with back problems, shin splints or just wanting to get into shape, this is for you. Both of these classes try for safety and fitness. We stress a pre-aerobic warm-up before the cardio-vas- cular work out and this is followed by floor exercises Indy Trail LT Reverse Star Sport 600 Nothing beats the way were built! MACHINES PRICED TOGO 10% OFF ALL CLOTHING We have a complete line of clothing and accessories SKIMMERS IN STOCK JOHNBROWN 771-7600 DEASE LAKE mamas SSS SS SSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSS SSS SSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS- SSosos SPIRIT DREAMS by Lorraine Lanteigne ! wonder at so many things That just can’t be explained. The de-ja-vues and dreams of meaning That happen quite routine. Or when you meet a person You've never seen before, And there exists, without plot An instaneous rapport! There seems to be a special part Of so many human beings, That has no explanation Except in “Spirit Dreams”. Could it be that we‘re evolving Quite in proper form, To understand the odd experience So it becomes the norm? ! have not the answers, but yet Il continue with the search, As one cannot resist the nature Of the soul when it is perched Upon the edge of comprehending That which seems quite surreal, Reaching deep within my soul With universal zeal. and a cool down. These programs have been designed with overall fitness in mind. Regular attendance will see improved flexibility, muscle tone, weight loss and strength. Everyone should be encouraged to try some type of fitness activity three times a week. This will help to contribute to better health and more energy. Our instructors give their time freely and are not paid for their time. The small fee collected for each session goes towards courses and certification of the instructors, music, and back to the participants by way of prizes. This year one member of the evening class will enjoy the benefits of an indoor jogging track and ‘a morning class member, an exercise bike. Come on out and join us. You meet new friends and old, and we have fun, Just don’t tell anyone it’s good for them! Regular Sale 5299.00 4750.00 5299.00 4899.00 2549.00 2275.00 4499.00 4100.00 7194.00 6400.00