just want to say hi

Dick Mattinson

Registered User
Jul 20, 2009
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#1
Just found this board thanks to Lynn Voortman and thought it would be fun to re-connect with old friends and school mates if there are any left around. So a little about me, I started out on the beaches at Cresent Beach around 1953. That's the area where the wave pool is and in fact the pool would be in our old front yard. After Hurricane Hazel wiped out most of those houses circa 1954 we and many other families were forced to leave the beach by the city so that they could have the land for Confederation Park. Well we didn't go far moving up to Van Wagner's beach directly across the road from the school which is now Barranga's. After few years there again the city moved us on and we moved to 987 Beach Blvd this would have been around 1963 and I lived there until 1969 when I moved to Burlington with my then wife. In 1971 we were relocated to Vancouver and stayed there until 1984 although we did visit often, at least I did as I consistently came back on business. Unfortunately after having 4 daughters, 3 born in B.C. my first marriage came to an end and as we were both from Burlington she decided to return and I followed quickly after not wanting to be that far from my children. After a hiatus from marrriage of about 6 years and while living in Hamilton I was planning at age 40 to return to school and a change in profession. I had been accepted by Conestoga College into their Nursing School. It was about this time still in Hamilton, I was living around St Joseph's Hospital, that I met my current wife Patti. I was going through a mid life crisis apparently as I found myself with a incredible lady that was 16 years my junior, but the harder this dirty old man pushed her away the harder she pushed me to the alter and the best thing that ever happened to me. This all worked well as Patti at the time was just finishing her residency in family medicine at McMaster Hosp. and planning to return to her home town of Waterloo to open her practice. This was all to much kismet as we were independantly making the same plan. So we picked up our tent and moved to Waterloo marrying on December 28, 1991. At this time my eldest daughter had returned to Vancouver which really was her home as she was only abou 16 months old when we uprooted her and moved to B.C. There she eventually met a young American sailor and one thing led to another as they do and off she went to San Dieago with stars in her eyes and a ring on her finger. Unfortunately her marriage also broke up and around 1994 she returned to Burlington and at that point had never met her set mother. Of course her 3 sisters had met Patti very early in our relationship and fell as much in love with her as I had. Patti and I were prepared for a very rocky road with the girls asking them to accept a new stepmother that was only 7 years older than their eldest sister. Well we over thought the situation as about 4 months after we started dating and before there was talk of marriage the trio at that time living with their mom in Burlington started lobbying for a little brother. Our getting married to them was not important what was important was a little brother and positively not a little sister. Well about 23 months and 14 days after our wedding we gave them their wish and presented them with a little sister. What did you really thing that after 4 girls in a row that I was capable of a boy, not much of a chance. Since then, there have been 2 granddaughters actually there is a 3rd but with special circumstances. She is my eldest daughter's eldest daughter and she was born 6 months before mine and Patti's daughter. So the special circumstances are that Patti was a grandmother before she was a mother and our daughter was an aunt before she was born. My first family is now all old enough to be on their own with my eldest Heather a nurse her spouse and 2 daughters living in Hamilton on the mountain, Jamie living in Kitchener and working as a office manager for a family doctor, Erin her ex and daughter live in Kitchener where she is a fitness consultant with Good Life and then Lindsay who lives in North Bay where she has just finished her B.A. She hopes to go onto teacher college and is currently working as a personal assistant in a group home for which she has a diploma. Patti and Alex our y daughter now live in New Hamburg and Patti's practice is 20 min. away in Kitchener. I am now stay at home parent but mostly just retired as Alex a almost 16 doen't really need a stay at home parent very much. Now after all of this I guess I should tell you who I am. My name is Dick Mattinson and as I said most of you if you are around will remember me from Bell Cairn which I attended from approx. 1961 to 1963 moving on to Delta for 3 years 2 of which were the shift years because of fire at Central and then ending up at Sir Winston Churchill graduating in June of 1968. I am not aware of any of my old friends still living on the beach but hopefully there are some of you out there that remember mewhether living on the beach or not. With every one using avatars and handles (or is that a C.B. radio term) it is impossible for me to guess who is whom. Don't worry about offending me if your not sure you know me ask as many questions as you like and we will figure it out. I promise I will answer all serious questions and hopefully we can re-connect.

Hoping to talk soon Dick e-mail <mattinson@kw.igs.net>
 
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scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
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The Beach Strip
#2
Thanks for joining up and I believe you have set a record for the longest introduction,:D hopefully some of the Van Wagner's members stop by and reply.
Your old house (987) is now looking very nice and has one of the nicest houses (IMO) on Beach beside it, which doesn't hurt with appearances.
So I don't repeat myself over and over again, there a few threads on the Van Wagner's Beach and the school. One of our member has sent a year book from the year that the school closed, but I only see a Malcolm Mattinson listed. Must be a relation?
As for the avatars and handles, it is very common to use these on Forums such this unlike Facebook where all is there for the world to see. Still many use their real name.


http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1438

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1242

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1388

Just to add, have you read "Memories Of Van Wagner's Beach and Parkview Survey", very good book written by some of the past students from the school and I see a couple Mattinson's listed in there?
 

Dick Mattinson

Registered User
Jul 20, 2009
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#4
Van Wagners Beach School

thanks for the links although I had found most of them. Yes Malcom or Mac to his family is my brother and why he is in that picture and I am not is a puzzle. MY family has those year books somewhere and the only thing we can think of is that I was home sick the day of the picture. The picture was taken by our teach Lois Evan, she more than any other teacher had the most influence on my life. I think we all have one teacher like that or at least I hope we do and Miss Evans in the few years she taught me gave me a love of travel music and literature that lasts until this day. She had us reading books that there is no way that they were on the ciriculm as when we went to Bell Cairn I found out the kids there had not read them. I am talking about her as though she has passed but I have no evidence of that as when she taught us she was certainly young enough that she could still be living. I would like to think she is, and if I remember correctly she lived on Park st in Hamilton I should look her up in the phone book. I remember that most summer vacations she would travel somewhere remote usually and when she told us of that she lit a fire under me and I have done a fair amount of travel directly from her influence.
 

scotto

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Feb 15, 2004
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#5
Yes Malcom or Mac to his family is my brother and why he is in that picture and I am not is a puzzle.
I remember one of the family call "Mackie", is this the same guy?


I am talking about her as though she has passed but I have no evidence of that as when she taught us she was certainly young enough that she could still be living. I would like to think she is, and if I remember correctly she lived on Park St in Hamilton I should look her up in the phone book.
There isn't an Evans on Park St, but it was a long time ago though and people do move.
 

scotto

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Feb 15, 2004
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#7
I was talking to him about four years ago on hockey nights, we would go out for a few pints after the game at our sponsor and was there most times. The bar is closed now but it was located near the corner of Parkdale and Main.
 

Collings

Registered User
Dec 24, 2004
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#8
Dick,
I am sorry to hear that mackie has a problem with the bottle...He was always a tough but likeable guy...seems to me that he lived in " the castle" for a while after your parents passed on...
Bob Collings
 

Dick Mattinson

Registered User
Jul 20, 2009
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#9
Hi Bob, that sounds wrong as I remember as a kid you insisted on Robert. To the best of my knowledge Mackie never lived on the beach after Mom and Dad passed but I honestly could have missed that. It would be neat to hear about you and what you have been up to since you left the beach. I left in 1969 when I married a girl from Burlington and in 1970 we were transfered to B.C. After having 4 girls and living through 14 years of a bad marriage my ex was smart enough to call it quits and moved back to Burlington with the kids. I followed and after about 7 years as a single man I met a lady 16 years my junior. I was going through a major change in my life and had registered for nursing school in Kitchener. She, Patti, was just completing her residency in family medicine and moving back to her home town of Kitchener. After she convinced me that the 16 years age difference was of no consequence we moved to Kit together and started our life as a married couple. Unfortunately I was unable to complete the nursing school because of health problems. We decided to have a child and I was to be the main care giver. Well that turned out to be one of the best moves of my life, that is both marring and having another daughter. We have a very very good life with lots of travel which I always wanted and an incredible relationship with all of my kids. They treat their step-mother better than there mother. My eldest 2 are 39 and 36 while Patti is only 45 but to them she is Mom. We are living in New Hamburg a very small town of about 2500 people, it is half way between Kitchener and Stratford. We are about an hour to either Toronto, Hamilton or London so a great central location. Patti's medical pratice is in Kitchener about 20 min from home and she enjoys a reputation as one of the best in the area. We are a very close family and see each other weekly. Two of the girls live here in Kitchener and of course our daughter is still with us as Uniny is about 2 years away. My eldest lives in Hamilton and youngest from the first group lives in North Bay where she just finished her B. A so we see them a little less. I hope you have had an equally great life, I remember your parent fondly and if correct last I heard they were in Nova Scotia. Bring me up to date if you have the time and the inclination. In any case thanks for your note and talk to you another time. Dick
 

mirene13

Registered User
Feb 14, 2009
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#10
Van Wagners pics

Hi Dick and yes I remember you as our paper boy and our having long talks during your deliveries. Did you get all your papers delivered or was our house the last on your route? Nice to read about your many life adventures...and FIVE girls..Wow! My second love and I have five children between us but I can only claim genetic connection with three of them... 2 girls and a boy.

I've been doing a number of 'life books' for the kids and me and have been trying to find a decent pic of Van Wagners Beach School. I found a drawing and a very old, very tiny photo. Do you have any pics?

My dad was foreman for the City of Hamilton, when we lived there and he was taking care of a city greenhouse there before they turned the area into Confederaion Park. I loved living there and still remember the smelt fishermen coming once a year and the many bonfires on the beach. Our cat loved to go from fire to fire and get a part of the catch. She was one happy fat cat!

Have you heard from any of our other classmates? Smiles Irene
 

Dick Mattinson

Registered User
Jul 20, 2009
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#12
Hi Guys everything is fine just having some computer problems but should be solved totally in the next few days and will get back to everyone then. Dick
 

Collings

Registered User
Dec 24, 2004
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Winnipeg
#13
Dick,
yes - my parents moved to Nova Scotia where they lived until they passed away. I moved to Barrie in 1974, Ottawa in 1976, Oakville in 1977, Toronto in 1980 and Winnipeg in 1990..Married twice - this time for 3 1/2 years..2 kids from first marriage. I remember your parents well - both nice folks. I go to Toronto once a year for a few days of restauarant surfing, and last year spent a couple of hours on that trip showing my wife where I grew up & lived. I still have my dads motorcycle - its been mine since 1986. My sister Elise lives in Connecticut - married with 2 children and my sister Yvette lives in London Ont.
 
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