When I was a kid, my mom took a turn, amongst a few other writers, at authoring “The Sandspit Shingle” for “The Observer” newspaper. I remember being pretty proud that my mom was a reporter, and I always remembered her skill as a writer growing up. I picked up a few of those good writing habits, and I wanted to honour my mom by writing about some of the amazing human beings that make up the wonderful community of “Kil Kun,” aka “Sandspit.”
This week’s amazing human being was sent a series of questions and chose to respond in her own words. I was so grateful to Judy Whaley for agreeing to be the first in what I hope is a long series of character sketches that tell the story of what makes Sandspit the amazing little town that it is. Her origin story is amazing, and her positivity and community spirit are infectious. Haw’aa to Judy for her contribution.
We look forward to welcoming Judy to the Agnes L. Mathers Elementary Winter Concert on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at the ALM Gymnasium. We also hope to see her at the Sandspit Complimentary Community Dinner at the Sandspit Community Hall on Dec. 21, starting at 5:30 p.m. (Please bring a plate and cutlery.) Sandspit Recreation is hosting a Teen Holiday Paint Night on Dec. 22, starting at 6:30 p.m. The paint night is happening in the ALM Art Room and features our next Sandspit Shingle feature character, Jessica Mai. Hope to see you all at these wonderful events, and please enjoy the words of Judy Whaley.
I consider my life to be somewhat of a miracle. A miracle that I continue to be grateful for each and every day. Ever since I was in elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I was born to be a teacher. I have taught students in elementary school, secondary school, and adult college courses. I have taught students with special needs and been a school librarian. I have lived in Gitxaala, B.C., on Dolphin Island, where I was one of two high school teachers and the administrative assistant. In my last years in SD 52, I was deeply honoured to be the Aboriginal Elementary Counsellor. I think I can say that throughout my teaching and counselling career, I believe I have made a difference in the lives of my students. And I am grateful to have had that opportunity.
However, it was just not in teaching where I wanted to make a difference. Strengthening relationships and interconnectedness in communities is also important to me. Working toward this goal, I pursued a graduate degree in educational leadership with a focus on counselling and theological coursework to be a deaconess in the Lutheran Church, which is a ministry of service and leadership. This gave me the skills and sense of vocation needed for community engagement.
Believe it or not, when my husband and I were first married, we had talked about how wonderful it would be to live on an island, where I could teach school, he could be a pastor of a church, and we could be in an environment where there were a lot of opportunities for outdoor activities. Fifty years later, here we are! Living in Sandspit, on Haida Gwaii, is a dream fulfilled.
My husband and I have lived in Sandspit for seven years. I was able to be a teacher on call at Agnes Mathers School for the first part of those years. It was wonderful to work with the students in this unique setting. These past few years, I have focused my energies and passion serving as needed, working alongside community members helping organize community events.
There were several interview questions I was asked to respond to for this article. One asked who was my favourite “Sandspitian.” While I don’t think it would be appropriate to name an individual person, I would like to say that it has been my privilege to get to know the women in this community. I have grown so much because of our friendship. These women have taught me much about life through their honest words and actions. They are caring to a fault. Creative. Resourceful. Hardworking. Knowledgeable. Resilient. Such women are the backbone of this community. I will always be grateful for their presence in my life.
Another question was: what would I wish was different about Sandspit? Well, while I could say having more housing, our own cemetery, or vehicles not using the main roads as a speedway, what I honestly wish is that folks would be more open to coming to church to hear about the hope that faith in God brings. Being connected to a faith community provides the hope and peace that are needed when our personal lives go sideways, forecasts for the environment frighten, news in the government is upsetting, or the world situation seems grim. I invite the people in Sandspit to come to church, be open to hearing what is said, and see how that can make a difference in your life. That would be my wish for the people of Sandspit.
Just a little bio information about me: my husband and I have been married for 50 years. We have three daughters, one of whom lives in Prince Rupert with three of our grandchildren. The other two live in Edmonton, Alta., with our other nine grandchildren. We also have two great-grandchildren. We have a dog that we adopted from here on the islands whose name is SGaana—thanks to three random guys in Skidegate who suggested we call him that. Thanks, guys!
It is our joy to live here in this beautiful community, among such wonderful people. We will continue working toward making a difference in any way we can.