“You miss what is gone and have all those fond memories of the train, people, and small-town charm. The train brought the people together. And looking back, Christmas was a significant community event where everyone spread cheer. It was such a great tim...
| Posted: Dec. 13, 2022, 10:28 a.m. | Updated: 2 hours ago | 9 Min Read
The train incorporated the Christmas spirit and even had Santa Claus on board to welcome the passengers. “Before the roadways, we were a walking town, and no matter what you did on the streets, you would meet people at Christmastime. Today, with the end of Holman’s and the maze of malls, you see many strangers with strained faces. There’s a disconnect with all the distractions.
“My father then had nine more children with my mother, Helen Perkins Holland . I was the youngest,” explains Dalton.The large home was always alive with the pitter-patter of feet coming and going, laughter, and music. “By mortgage default, our family owned the 36-room Summerside Clifton Hotel in 1949. But, so often what happened, when the crowds got up in numbers at the hotel, my mother would put three rooms aside in our home for hotel guests," he recalls."And then, at the drugstore, there were always late-night shoppers. So, for us children, we all pitched in to help our parents.”Dalton’s family would make an annual trip up West or to Tryon to cut down festive trees with an axe.
“My parents, especially my mother, treated everyone as family. It was always about preplanning, determining which families were struggling and how to help them. We had a family friend that helped with a list and was very generous. Sometimes the benefactors would be the ladies at the convent," Dalton says.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Thousands of Canadians remain in the dark days after fierce storms knock out power - Terrace StandardThousands of Canadians remain in the dark days after fierce storms knock out power
Read more »
Beaumont family 'heartbroken' after home burns down on Christmas DayA family south of Edmonton will be rebuilding their lives in the new year after a fire destroyed their home on Christmas Day.
Read more »
'Inhumane:' Sunwing passenger recounts scene at Mexico airport after being stranded on Christmas EveA Canadian traveller in Cancun, Mexico, set to return home on Christmas Eve, was told last-minute by Sunwing Airlines that his flight had been delayed until Dec. 27, leaving him and dozens of other passengers stranded at the airport with nowhere to go.
Read more »
Beaumont family 'heartbroken' after home burns down on Christmas DayA family south of Edmonton will be rebuilding their lives in the new year after a fire destroyed their home on Christmas Day.
Read more »
B.C. bus crash: Recent arrival from Punjab among four dead in Christmas Eve tragedyFamily members here and in India are mourning the death of a man who just arrived in Canada on a work permit three months ago.
Read more »
Victoria's Ukrainian Cultural Centre helps refugees with traditional holiday celebrationUkrainian refugees and their families had the chance to experience a traditional Ukrainian Christmas celebration.
Read more »