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1
NOTICEThe success of the Newsletter has been such that it is
necessary to move our headquarters to a larger building.
Phantom Publishers, who do our printing and distribution,
have asked us to take over the 7 floor of a 12 storeyth
building on Bernard Avenue, in Kelowna. The large number
of pensioners in Kelowna and the Okanagan makes the
move viable.
This will mean our editorial staff, digital photo department,
the motorized mobile equipment team, the design and layout
crew along with the finance and email distribution people,
must all relocate to Kelowna. The legal department will
remain in Vancouver.
There will be very liberal relocation incentives for the staff
to make the move. The Management team will each be
reclassified resulting in higher pay levels with new titles.
New positions created will include: Chairman, President,
and Chief Executive Officer, (who will now become an
Executive Vice President). Chairman of the Finance
Committee will now be a Vice President. The stipend for
the advisory board has also been increased to recognize
their contribution to the project.
This, of course, is all being done for the sole convenience of
our readers, the cost of which is expected to be within the
budget designed by Management
DAVE CHRISTIE
David Christie was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia in 1932.
His father was an accountant with the Canadian Gypsum
Co. who produced Gyproc for export to the United States.
He arranged a summer job for Dave as a deckhand on the
‘S.S. Novadoc’ that carried cargos of Gyproc to New York
city. When Dave decided he would like to work for the
bank, he needed a reference from his only previous
employer. When the request for a reference was returned
from Paterson Steamships Ltd., they pointed out the vessel
on which Dave had sailed, sank in a storm at sea, with all
hands lost and all records were on the bottom. They did
advise that inasmuch as David had worked two seasons, it
could be
assumed his
services were
satisfactory.
David said he
wasn’t too
worried about
the reference
because the
Manager of
the Royal
Bank, Lewis
McCoy, was
his Godfather.
David started in June, 1949 as a junior clerk at Windsor but
because he played hockey, and the Royal’s branch in Digby,
N.S needed his talents for their team, he was transferred to
Digby. He was moved to Truro, N.S and later to
Summerside, P.E.I. In 1952 the bank realized they needed
some special maritime talent in B.C so, 10 days before
Christmas, they transferred Dave along with Roger
Hemeon, Bernie Chafe, Pete Peters and Ross Cantley to
British Columbia. Dave went to Kingsway & Slocan where
Jack Dunsmore was Manager. Later he joined the B.C.
Inspection team under Bill Arthur and with such luminaries
as Cliff Sinclair, Jeff Styles, Jack McDonald and Brian
Gregson to name a few. After a stint at Vancouver,
Broadway & Cambie, with Harold Nelson, he became
Special Duties Officer under Andy Crawford. He later
served as District Training Officer and was succeeded by
Bill Gilbert. It was then a stint on the Credit floor in the
Supervisor’s Department before being named Assistant
Manager at Kamloops, B.C under Chuck Akenhead.
In June 1965 David married Florence, an RN, and they have
two boys. Following a period as Assistant Manager at
Prince George, Third & Quebec, replacing Jock Peddie, he
was appointed Manager of the branch. His next move was to
manage the Vernon, B.C branch, replacing Don Reed. He
later replaced George Siborne at Vancouver, Main &
Hastings, as Manager, from which position he retired in
June, 1992 at age 60 after 43 years of service. While
managing that branch he also had the responsibility as Area
Manager for four other branches.
RBC PENSIONERS’ NETWORK
BRITISH COLUMBIA CELL
email <[email protected]> VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 - OCTOBER 2006
2
RJ (RAY) MITCHUK
Raymond John Mitchuk started his banking career in The
Pas, Manitoba, in July 1948. After the war it was difficult for
a young man to find employment, so Ray joined the reserve
Army. It was there he injured his knee, a problem which he
still suffers with today. He subsequently worked for Swift
Canadian, meat packers and distributors. One of his jobs was
to take the company deposit to the bank.
The Manager of The Royal Bank, Stavley
Charles Hudson Pilling, asked Ray if he
would like to apply for a position with the
bank. Ray agreed, and survived for 39
years.
Ray pointed out that in those days, the
Bank would only consider applicants of
Anglo Saxon origin. In his case they made
an exception and he was the first RBC
male employee from a Ukrainian
background.
It was in The Pas that Ray met the love of
his life, Hazel Cooper. She was born in
Grandview, Manitoba but worked for the
Manitoba Telephone System in The Pas.
Ray considers this meeting dramatically
changed his life - for the better.
It was not long before Ray was in trouble. He operated the
Gestetner machine for the local CCF candidate, turning out
printed political advertising. The rival candidate complained
to the Manager in The Pas (L.B. Chapman) who advised the
Royal Bank Supervisor, in Winnipeg. Any involvement in
the political process by a Banker, was taboo at that time.
Very soon thereafter, the Supervisor moved Ray to Prince
Rupert, British Columbia. Ray then had a couple of
problems: firstly he did not know where Prince Rupert was
and secondly, he wanted to marry Hazel. He had a week to
solve these problems. He found a map that showed Prince
Rupert and he married Hazel. In 1952 they both left for the
West Coast.
The Prince Rupert Manager, J.E. Taylor, was not
sympathetic to Ray’s problems and wanted to have him fired
for getting married without the Bank’s consent. He also did
not like the fact that Hazel worked in a local department
store. The Accountant, Bill Frazer, sided with the Manager
but the Assistant Accountant, Stan Cornwell, understood the
predicament and persuaded the other two that firing Ray was
not a good decision. Ray has been forever thankful for Stan’s
support and they are friends to this day.
In 1953 Ray was transferred as Assistant Accountant to
Hastings and Nanaimo branch where John McDonald was
Manager. Frank Johnson was the Accountant.
In 1955 Ray was appointed Accountant at Commercial and
Gravely branch replacing Eric Graham. Gordon Butler was
Manager.
1957 found Ray appointed Accountant at Main & 8 branchth
with Arnold Putnam, Manager. Ray succeeded Don Steele
who had been transferred to the Supervisor’s Department,
Credit Floor. While Ray was at Main & 8 , he met Dougth
Hepburn who was at that time the world champion heavy
weight lifter. Ray worked out in his gym every lunch hour
and on Saturday mornings.
His first Managerial appointment
came in 1959 to North Road &
Lougheed, replacing Manager,
Waddy Howat.
The Municipality of Coquitlam and
the Chamber of Commerce, at a
dinner and dance to commemorate
the event, honoured Ray in 1967 as
“Citizen of the Year.”
In 1967 Ray joined the B.C.
Inspection team where he stayed
until 1969 when he was appointed
Manager at Commercial & Gravely
branch- replacing Walter Fries.
In 1973 Ray was promoted to Manager, Kingsway &
Walker branch to replace Sandy MacDonald (who had
succeeded Chuck Linton.)
In 1979 Ray ran as a candidate for Alderman in Coquitlam
and was elected for a two-year term. He ran again in 1981
and lost. In 1983 he was again elected as he was in 1985.
He ran again in 1987 and was defeated.
Ray retired from the bank in 1987 and he and Hazel reside
in Coquitlam, adjacent to The Vancouver Golf Club. He has
been a member of that Club for many years, but has not
played much golf in the last while because of knee
problems.
In conclusion, Ray wished to express his appreciation to the
Bank for his career, which permitted him to meet many
extraordinary customers and staff - many of whom became
lifelong friends.
Charlie
Merrick
explains how
the world
revolves.
3
PROFILE : NORM BRADSHAW
Following graduation and a one-year stint at Eaton's, I joined
the Royal in 1951 at Nanaimo with Bob Mawhinney,
Manager. With the help of
Weir Muir, the Accountant, I
passed the entrance exams and
began my career as Junior
Clerk, the lowest of the low. I
quickly learned how to pick up
the mail, put out the books and
ledgers, deliver drafts, fill the
inkwells and most importantly
balance the stamp box!
After a year I was transferred
to Park Royal, West
Vancouver, the first of many
moves and my first boarding
house. A few years later, I was
sent to Kitimat with Jack Hilts to open our first branch at that
point. What an eye opener that was as we were situated in
one of the three construction camps, the total population
being about 5000 men and 20 females. I still look back and
consider this as one of my most interesting assignments.
After a stint in some other branches, I was moved from
Prince Rupert back to Vancouver as Assistant Personnel
Officer (remember when we used to call them Staff
Officers). Steve Allen was the B.C. District, Personnel
Officer. Part of my job was to hire about 70 young fellows
every year for training purposes, many of them went on to
have great careers. I knew I was getting old when I started
reading about some of them retiring! My wife Buda and I
were then transferred to Regina as Personnel Officer in 1961
and remained there for three years. I was moved to the
Vancouver Credit Floor and worked with such stars as Bill
Anderson, Jimmy Walker, Brian Gregson, and Jack
McDonald to name a few.
Later I was appointed Manager of Pender & Bute branch and
then moved on as Manger of Sales & Service Training-the
forerunner of todays proactive marketing programs. As a
result of this assignment, as well as my previous work in
Personnel, I think I knew every male employee in B.C.
Perhaps I knew too much about everyone and that is when I
was transferred, in 1971, to Head Office(then in Montreal at
Place Ville Marie), to work in the Business Development
Department reporting to Joel Milburn. Because of the nature
of the work, we were located on the Executive Floor and I
had the opportunity to work with the entire senior executive
and some of the directors, a big thrill for an average kid from
Nanaimo! After four years I was appointed Manager of the
Main branch in Regina- following Doug Rafuse. I was later
appointed Regional Manager of greater Regina. In 1988 I
elected to take early retirement at 56 and moved back to
Victoria, while I could still afford a house in that rising
market.
It was always my intention to continue working and at the
invitation of former Royal Banker, Dave Pollock, I joined
the Canadian Western Bank for four years. I then returned
to the Royal as a “Grey Panther” for another three years.
Buda passed away three years ago and since then I keep
busy with such things as Rotary, golf, travelling, gardening,
and making sure I enjoy every day. Ain't retirement
wonderfull!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR’S NOTE
Norm sent us a more recent picture but the Editor liked
this (circa 1963) image better. Norm told us he grew the
mustache to make him look older but has since removed
it, to make him look younger.
Many of you will remember the Staff Lunch Room located
above Hastings & Homer branch. This was the second
lunch room and came under the direction of Miss Joseph.
Does anyone remember the names of some of the excellent
waitresses? Hazel comes to mind. The menu often
included, on Fridays (Alaska black cod). There were the
usual standbys of macaroni and cheese and always a
sandwich selection. At that time lunch room tickets were 15
cents.
The first such lunch facility was above the Moler school of
Hairdressing at 303 West Hastings (circa 1946.) It was on
the second floor and required a walk up of two flights of
stairs. When Hastings and Homer closed, lunch rooms
were established at Royal Centre and the Data Centre. No
such thing anymore.
4
ANOTHER CHARLIE MERRICK COM MENT
HELP WANTED
It has come to the attention of the Publisher that one of our
pensioners on the NETWORK has just obtained a
substantial government research grant for a rather unique
enterprise. This pensioner is studying the effect of water
temperatures on the sexual habits of goldfish in an outdoor
pool. This will be a five year study and the funding will
include a generous salary allowance for a research
assistant.
We don’t usually encourage this type of advertisement but
have made an exception in this case, because the results of
the study could have a profound effect on the lives of
pensioners.
The work will be ongoing and if there is anyone who would
like to apply for this research position, and able to pass the
physical, you should present your resume through our
regular email address- that is <rbcpensionersnetwork.ca>
All applicants will receive a reply.
Who can identify this signature?
OWEN H. MORGAN PASSES
Owen died in West Vancouver on
July 3, 2006. He was born in
Rosedale, Alberta, on October 2,
1918 and grew up in Cranbrook
and Kamloops. He entered the
bank at Kamloops, B.C., on April
1 1937. He enlisted in the RCAFst
from New Westminster, B.C. on
November 20 , 1940. Followingth
his training as a Navigator, on
April 9 , 1942 he joined No.150th
Squadron, an RAF bomber
command unit. He was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross,
effective November 2, 1942 after
he had carried out 27 missions. These operations include
sorties to Essen, Cologne and six to Bremen. During this
period he was involved in two severe crashes, one in
Britain and the second in Germany where he spent over a
year in a German POW camp. He was mentioned in
dispatches twice while serving in North Africa. He did
sustain serious burns and a leg injury that he struggled with
for the rest of his life.
Following the war, Owen returned to the bank
reestablishing his banking career at Vancouver, Main &
Hastings. In the mid 50's he was transferred to the
Supervisor’s Department in Vancouver, where he headed
the bank’s thrust to write mortgages when legislation
allowed the banks into mortgage lending. He had a keen
analytical mind and his leadership made a significant
contribution to the bank’s earnings.
In about 1960, after nearly 25 years of service he left the
bank to further his career with the Industrial Development
Bank, where he earned an executive position serving in
Edmonton and Vancouver. He was a devoted family man
and is survived by his wife Vaughan, their 5 children and
10 grandchildren. A celebration of his life was held at the
Capilano Golf Club in West Vancouver, B.C.
Because of the
rear entrance,
many who
worked at 685
West Hastings
or in the
Department
would never
have seen the
front of the
Grandview
Hotel, their
favorite
watering hole.