Bits of Where I Live

Bits by Norm Richards

I walked to the Forks Market today. On the way I snapped a few photos I saw along the way. While I grew up in a community about 500 miles north of the city of Winnipeg. My dad worked for Canadian National Railway (CN) after The Pas Lumber Company shut down. Over the history of this country, many historical hotels were owned and operated by major railroad companies. The Fort Garry Hotel was one of them. It's privately held today but when dad worked for CN we stayed at this first class hotel. The meeting and ball rooms were often filled with people in formal dress. It's here I met my first real rock group a few years before I became a player myself. It was like seeing The Searchers, The Kinks and The Animals in one room in one night. It was New Years and I met The Jury.


 

I recall seeing the movie The Shining which was set in a similar hotel as the Fort Garry. That movie's scenes passed through my thoughts years later when I attended a film industry event here. The guest speaker was Shelley Duvall who appeared in The Shining.

I remember the crazed Jack Nicholson character chasing after her through the hotel's hallways. Her performance in those scenes were powerful and totally memorable.

I approached Ms. Duvall at the social later that evening. We ended up spending the better part of the evening together and enjoyed each others company. It was such a pleasure meeting her.