This move
was easier - we flew Air Canada
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We were
only in Ottawa for 4 years before I got promoted again and
posted to Victoria. We sold our home in Ottawa and bought a
new one in Victoria with a pool. We were all very much looking
forward to the move because for the first time we would be only an
hours drive from the kids grandparents. As it turned out buying a
house with a pool was a good decision. It would play a pivotal role
in Robyn's development as a strong leader. We didn't know it
at the time but we would be in Victoria for over 15 years which, for
the kids, was pretty much their whole life |
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Brian
Interviews His Father |
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Soon after we arrived in Victoria the "Duck Rule"
came back to haunt me. When you're posted to a new location in the
Military. They give you two months pay in cash to give you time to
make new banking arrangements. So I arrived home from my first day
at work with literally a pocket full of cash. I no sooner got
finished explaining the reason for all the cash when Robyn spoke up
in a very mature, assertive voice and said; "The Duck Rule
applies - we each get a share of that". "Well you're right",
I said and began counting it all out in piles of four - one for each
of us. As soon as everyone had their own pile of cash I said; "We
have to pay the mortgage - so everyone must chip in for the
mortgage." Then I said, We need to buy groceries - everyone
chip in for the groceries." Well this went on until we got
down to paying the cable TV. Brian looked at his dwindling pile of
cash and said in a defiant voice; "I'm not going to watch TV this
month so I don't want to pay for it". As it turned out
what they had left, after the Cable TV was paid, was not much more
than they normally got for their allowance.
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Kids & Grandma Hawkes |
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Opening Presents |
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Visiting Military College |
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Great-Grandma Ina Hawkes |
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Robyn and Brian literally grew up in Victoria. When we arrived in
July 1990 Brian had just turned 6 and Robyn had just turned 8. When
we moved to Toronto in 2006 they were 22 and 24. As you can see from
these photos the kids very much enjoyed being able to frequently
spend time with their grandparents for the first time in their
lives. We were together with their grandparents pretty much
every Christmas and most holidays. You can see how they grew when
you compare Robyn in the photo with her grandmother at the top right
to her in the photo with her grandmother bottom right. They also got
to know their great grandmother, Ina Hawkes, who lived to be 96.
A Special Christmas
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Running Military College
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Brian at 18
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Robyn and Friend
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Our Young Adults
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Robyn and Friend Isla
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Brian Watching the Game
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Robyn & Grandma Hawkes
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It was in Victoria when Robyn
was 13 that she showed a remarkable skill in preparing reasoned, persuasive,
argument; that telegraph her career as an advocate in her current position as a
Labour Relations Officer. I had been quite vocal in my believe that children, in
general, should not have cell phones. Their mother came to me one afternoon and
told me that Robyn had prepared something that she wanted me to hear and that I
should just listen before shooting it down. Well I listened and what I heard was
both well reasoned and very persuasive. Her argument was very well prepared and
on a par with what I would expect from a first year law student. Given
that Robyn was only 13 it was remarkable. Well when she finish, she was
not only getting a cell phone, her bother was getting a cell phone and I was
paying for both of them.
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