FoodShare Fundraiser

My friend and I attended a fundraiser for FoodShare here in Toronto (Bloor and Dufferin area). It was in memory of our former co-worker, Shelagh Gordon, who passed away a year ago from a brain aneurysm.

The fundraiser was supposed to be a lunch that ran from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. What I didn't realize was that it was to be a sit down lunch and that everyone would be served. So I made plans to go with my friend after church and after I had had lunch in Chinatown. We didn't arrive there until about 2:30. Just in time to have dessert.

When I first went in I saw a couple of former co-workers, Sue Norman and Nancy Lutz. They were a couple of the original Auto Trader photographers/salespeople from when I first started back in 1989. As well, Dave Wilson, (another one of the original Trader photographers/salespeople) was there as was Shelagh's sister Heather Cullimore and brother-in-law Jay Cullimore. Those two were also photographers/salespeople, but they started later.

It was great seeing them all again and catching up. Sue has been doing a variety of things since she left Trader seven years ago. If I remember correctly she said she ran a bicycle touring company for awhile and was also involved with trade shows (I have such a bad memory). Nancy is involved with interior design. She mentioned something about her company importing Scavolini kitchens. Jay is involved with some former Trader employees who publish other magazines. And Dave is one of the very few original Trader employees still there. He's been there for 34 years so far. Incredible.

It was a wonderful, unexpected surprise to see them. Out of the bunch only Nancy and Dave are on Facebook. So I haven't seen or heard from most of them in at least 5-10 years I believe (I left in the summer of 2009).

YPG/Trader Christmas Party

My friend invited a few of us to her work Christmas party on Saturday. Two of us (Taku and myself) actually worked there before. For me, it was about 3-1/2 years ago and Taku, about 5.

The company has seen many changes in the past few years. From being privately owned by the Francis family to being acquired by Yellow Pages Group to half the company being sold by them to a British group.

The party was open to three different YPG companies (I believe) besides Wall2Wall (the new name of my former company). So there were quite a few new faces in attendance.

Still, I saw Jacky Hill, Sue Legge, Miss Dee (Dionne Fraser), Susan Maxwell and Elisa Krovblit from New Homes/Condo Guide. Those were the guys I worked most closely with.

Other familiar faces from production were the two Balas (Gnanapandithan and Menon), Greg Van Sluytman and Curtis King.

Even though we didn't get to sit with most of our friends I still had a really good time. Dinner was decent and I actually got up and danced a little.

Until next time...

Trader Reunion

Helen, Reay, Andrea, Jorgen

Last Saturday we had an Old Timers Trader reunion at the Monarch Tavern off College Street in Little Italy. Andrea started the ball rolling and Jenn and Mike P. kept it going.

Andrea arrived first followed by Helen and Jenn. I came next then, surprise!, Dave Ablard. He was the old plant/press manager when we were at 23 Apex. I don't think any one of the organizers thought about contacting him. One of the former front office ladies, Janice, had the forethought to look up his phone number and call him. It was great seeing him again. I think it's been at least 6-7 years since I've seen him.

As for Andrea, Helen and Jennifer, I don't believe I've seen those guys in 10-15 years. Jenn said she left in the mid-90's. Helen said she left in '99 (I think) and I forgot when Andrea left. It was a long time ago though.

I don't remember the exact order of who came next, but I'll list the rest of the people who showed up - Steve L., Jorgen L., Lisa R., Dave W., Janice L.B., Jeff W. and Rosa, Reay J., Don M. and Soma.

Dave and Steve are the real old timers. I believe they started around the inception of the company. I'm guessing Janice had been around a long time too. Jorgen started not long after me (I started in June of 1989). Andrea came around that time as well. Jeff and Helen were probably next. The newer ones are Don, Soma, Rosa and Lisa. I'm guessing they started between 10-15 years ago.

Anyway, it was really good to see everyone again. I have to say one of the people I was most looking forward to seeing was Jorgen. I think he's one of the guys I hadn't seen in the longest time.

Andrea and I were e-mailing beforehand about other folks we wanted to see (or were wondering about their whereabouts). People like John Kovar, Greg Smart, the guys in the stripping room (Sudan, Derek, Jeya, Jenny and Ian), Alison Fiddler, Renée Adams, Sid P. ... I'm sure there were more. If you guys are out there give us a shout.

I'm happy to say I'm in contact with a few of the others on Facebook. Friends like Jerry L., Rob B., Doug M., Lawrence L. and Viola. Or I have their phone numbers still, like Rob L.

We'll have to do this again another time. This time with a larger turnout (hopefully).

Trader Friends at Badger and Firkin

I met up with my Trader friends for dinner at the Firkin pub across the street from my old office today. Viola sent out an e-mail asking people to come. It's been a bit over a year since I've seen the guys. So it was cool to see them again.

I came over a bit early so I could drop by the office to see some other friends too. Unfortunately I didn't go as early as I should have. By the time I got there (a bit after 5:00) quite a few people had already left. Still, I had the chance to talk with a fair number of friends. It was really good seeing them again.

Kevin from Trader

Wow... this is getting freaky. Last week it was Ken MacDonald. This week it's Kevin Cheng. I've been bumping into a lot of old friends recently. Even yesterday I ran into an old high school classmate, Peter Lipson. He was going to have dinner with his family at a Chinese restaurant near my church last night. I saw him last year at our high school reunion though.

As for Kevin, I saw him this evening at a sushi buffet restaurant, Maison du Japon, in Markham. I was there for dinner with some friends from Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church. One friend Steve Quan had his birthday on Friday and we were celebrating. Originally we were supposed to go to the Congee Queen at Don Mills and Steeles, but at the last minute changed locations. Isn't that weird?

Kevin was there having dinner with his family too. I first noticed him when I went out of the restaurant to pick something up from my friend Daphne. On the way back I smiled at this fellow sitting at one of the tables and he smiled back. I thought he looked kind of familiar, but didn't quite recognize him yet.

The second time I passed him was on the way back from the bathroom. This time he caught my eye and I went up to him and told him I think I knew him. Then I figured out that he was my old co-worker from Trader. I even remembered his name. Well, his first name anyway. We chatted a bit and he mentioned he left back in 1995. I couldn't believe it had been fifteen years since we last saw each other.

We talked about what we both had been up to lately. He's doing freelance illustration. I'm not doing anything at all. We talked about some old Trader friends. I've kept in touch with most of the names he remembered. I'm going to try and reconnect him with some of them if I can.

Anyway, that was a cool way to end the evening for me, meeting another old friend.

Cathy's Going Away Party

Terrence and Soma

Cathy had her going away party this past Friday at The Raq down on Queen West and Bathurst. She decided to leave and do freelancing which is what she did before she joined Trader. She invited a bunch of current and former employees down for one last kick at the can on her last day.

There were quite a few people there. For me it was sort of like a mini reunion. I was laid off from Trader about a year ago. That was the last time I saw most of my friends there. There were some people I was disappointed not to see. But, there were also a few faces I hadn't seen in quite a few years like Terence and Maki. It was great seeing them again.

Anyway, it was nice hanging out, having a drink and catching up with old friends again. We're going to have to try to make it a regular affair.