As my memory goes back in my life 32 years ago, I was only 17 then. It was late Aug. 1966 when my mom went to a funeral parlour in Alexandria for a cousin of hers who had passed away. She then met my aunt Marie Jeanne Beauchamp and my cousin Jeannine. In their conversation my mom mentioned to them that I was looking for a job. That’s when Jeannine mentioned where she was working, for the Glengarry Telephone Company, and that it had a job opening. There was one person quitting. She gave my mom J.J. McCormicks name and telephone number. So I called him the next morning and he said he wanted to interview me. He told me he would come himself at my place to see me and talk to me. I lived in Maxville at the time and didn’t have a ride to go to Lochiel. So that’s why he decided to come down. I thought it was very nice of him to do that for me.

When he got to my place we talked a little bit of everything and of nothing. Then he said let’s get down to talk about serious things. He told me what he expected of me ?the shifts, the weeks of working, my pay and my days off and also the housekeeping arrangements; and then how long he was giving me for training. So I said to him to let me sleep on it; I would call him the next day to give him the answer.

To me it was my first time to be leaving home for so long - three weeks of work then one week off. It was a big decision. But I accepted it. I had to start my life somewhere. So I started the first week of Sept. 1966. At that time I think I was replacing Denise Titley or Mary (I don’t know her last name). What I didn’t know then was that I had to compete with another girl who was starting at the same time as me. He was giving us a week to prove ourselves. The other girl’s name was Solange Lalier. It took me two days and I knew everything. The other girl was a very nervous and shy person. So she had a hard time and he let her go. He said to me that I had the job. I was glad; I liked it and was comfortable with it. I think I worked about 8 to 9 months with Mr. McCormick. After that the company was sold to Bell Canada. I was then transferred with the office to Alexandria, Ont. So I started in Sept. 1966 and finished in April of May 1967 - I am not exactly sure which. I think I was paid around $60.00 weekly.

I was on shifts. One week I would work 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; then the next week 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; then the last week, night shift, 10:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.; then finally one whole week off. Working the night shift could be pleasant because we were allowed to lie down on a little bed that we opened up at night. I would say that 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. was the busiest time. Then there was a break until 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. If someone would call in while I was sleeping there would be a loud bell that would ring and wake me up. Believe me, it was loud and there was no way of sleeping through it. The busiest time of the year was in the spring when farmers had expectant cows. It was then that they were calling for the veterinarian, Dr. Lanthier.

We were about 3 or 4 of living there so we had to share the housework and the meals, all depending on the shift we were working. It was like we were a little family. I worked with Jeannine Beauchamp, Claudette Quesnel, Georgette Paiment and Agathe Girard. I enjoyed my work. I don’t recall having a bad experience with anybody on the line while I was working. As for the people I worked with, it was enjoyable most of the time. I personally can’t say much about your dad (J.J. McCormick); I didn’t see him that much. And I don’t remember too much except to me he was a great man, I respected him for who he was. I also had a chance to meet your mom (Janet McCormick). She was a sweet and fragile person, lovable in every way. The only thing was, I didn’t know they had a child named Basil and I don’t know if there were any other children. If I hadn’t contacted for this story I wouldn’t have known about John Joe McCormick’s family.

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