Gary and I go waaaaaaaaay back to family birthdays in Charleswood slamming pool balls around the table in his basement to Sunday night dinners on Hector. I always looked forward to having him there to hang out with. It was back in the days where if you left the house your parents had no way of knowing where you were, or when you would be back. We would disappear to the park to at the end of the street to play catch or chat up the Fort Rouge kids.
I remember a time I was sleeping over at his place and he took me “frogging”. I think it was a little place in Charleswood called Beaver Creek or something like that. It was the first time I had ever caught frog to be honest and it seemed like old hat for Gary. Must have been a Charleswood thing.
Now we are 50 and birthdays look a little but different. Bo and the kids did an amazing job putting together a casino themed event that was spectactular. There was Blackjack and Roulette tables, amazing food and drink (thank you Julia), and it was great to see so many family members, and friends. Shannon and I had a blast. Who would have thought we would be working and playing hockey together after all these years.
Happy 50th Birthday Gary! So proud of all you have accomplished over the last 50 years and I can’t wait to see where it takes you.
No party for this guy but we need to do something. I started hanging out with Ponch in what I could only describe as my “Party Days”. It was a time when life consisted of nothing but work and play. Go to work, play hockey, eat wings at Manhattans, drink, and hang with the boys. Sometimes girls too if we were lucky.
Ponch and Drew were the first to get to their own place and it quickly turned into a hangout for us too. They had this tiny little apartment in Osborne Village where the property was cheap. We used to “start there” before going out and usually ended up back there after, at least to some capacity. I have so many good memories from that place. Buzzing in at the door “Bernalap Schnip Schnap”, “Kegleeeeeeeeer”. Kent smashing the main door glass from banging on it and yelling “LET US IN” and then a trail of blood to the apartment door.
Back in 1996 I landed (2) tickets to the last ever Winnipeg Jets game in the Winnipeg Arena. Ponch is a huge Jets fan and I knew there was nobody who would appreciate that experience more than him and I have always been grateful to have shared that experience with him. It was a magical night in more ways than one because I also think that was night Ponch found Mel so the timing could not have been better.
From there came the Morley and Mulvey houses and again it must have been somewhat annoying how much we were there. A home away from home and the guys were always happy to see us, or at least it always felt as such. In fact Ponch was the first man in Winnipeg to get the internet so he would let us go on there and talk to men pretending to be girls and allow us to see dirty images that loaded one line at a time. I remember one night the Tragicaly Hip released Ahead By A Century and we clicked the download button, went to the bar, and came back home to listen to the track like magic. It was glorious times.
He’s a guy you want on your team and he makes a helluva onion dip. Happy 50th birthday my friend.
Al and I took off for Thunder Bay this past weekend to attend Paul’s 50th birthday.
We took off early Saturday morning and it was nothing but blue skies and open highway. We did the usual stops for bathroom breaks and gas station egg salad. Of course Slurpees in Dryden, the last 7 ELEVEn this side of Thunder Bay. We stopped at the Subway in Ignace instead of the bar this time mostly because we were in a hurry and didn’t want any chance encounters with “The Newt” to hold us up.
We didn’t have much time when we arrived for visiting because it was almost time to roll out. We donned our “snaps”, threw on some baby powder and Gun Barrel, and headed out to On The Links. Charski reserved a section for all of Paul’s Thunder Bay crew along with a few golf sims to add to the fun. We had a blast so hat’s off to Melissa for putting the night together it was awesome. It was great to see the Ratte kids (who will always be kids to me) and also to hang out with Paul’s Mom and Pops who also made the drive out.
I can’t remember the last time we were all out until 3am but it might as well be Paul’s 50th! I think he had an awesome time. He has a really good crew of people out in Thunder Bay and it’s nice to know he is so well taken care of out there. It’s no suprise knowing how much we miss him around here.
Ratty and I have been besties in my eyes since Grade 5, when I first moved over to GWood. We grew up playing street hockey, sneaking out at sleepovers, and riding the bike trails by the Seine River. We were joined at the hip through high school, got our licenses, started jobs, got married, had kids, moved away, and somehow grew even closer together.
March 26, 2024 – Happy 50th big buddy! Not even a blizzard could keep us from this one.
It’s a big year for 50’s and what better way to start things off than with Scott Vernon!
I started hanging out with “Vern” in grade 11 or 12. We had a couple of classes together that we often skipped to go driving around in his Mom’s Nissan Pulsar NX. He showed me how to “bang shift” in that little red chick magnet with the T-Tops off. Shifting gears without the clutch for all you perverts reading this. We listened to Bootsauce full blast and drank slurpees (go figure).
Hanging with Vern came with all kinds of perks like afternoons by the pool and talking to girls way out of my league. After highschool he got a job at the Canad Inns and was literally our ticket to U4IA. I remember we would be getting to the bar late and seeing lineups out the door. We would ask for “Mr. Vernon” at the front desk and soon after Scott would be leading through the kitchen and into the club. He always took care of his friends and still does.
In fact, Scott’s parent’s used to own a Sooters Photography and it wasn’t uncommon for him to come in with friends for some professional portraits. This was a little before my time but it’s a pretty good indicator that Scott takes his friendships quite seriously.
One of the original members of the Three Pistols Vern might be one of the best hockey players I have ever played with. Hands all day and it often looks like he isn’t even trying. My favourite is waching him double tap the puck with the toe of his stick before unleashing a howitzer slapshot. Classic!!
It was actually at one of Scott’s birthdays (maybe his 28th?) that I was first seduced by my wife at the Tiajuana Yacht Club.
It’s been 36 years of friendship and now we share Dad stories and meet up for the occassional plate of wings when life permits us. Some might even say we work together.
January 12th, 2024 – Happy 50th Vern, it was a pleasure and an honour to celebrate with you.
Just before the holidays I met a couple of the “OG” (original Glenwood) crew for a nice dinner and drinks at the Brazen Hall. I saw a picture last year of them out for dinner on the Facebook and remember thinking “man, I would love to get together with those guys and catch up” and this year I got the invite.
It was Corrine, Kelly, Melanie, and Dave. All people from the neighbourhood where I grew up. If you are doing the math I would have introduced Corrine and Kelly as my friends over the last 42 years. Dave and Mel I met when I moved to Glenwood from Varennes in 1985. Here we all are in 2022, sitting in the Brazen Hall sharing a gender-neutral bathroom and reminiscing about old times.
It was so cool to learn about who everyone still had contact with especially since we all kind of went our own way for high school. We all went to Glenlawn but up until grade 9, we were like family. I would see these people for 8 hours a day. We would funnel down Des Meurons and walk to school together. We hung out on the weekends and after school at the rink, or at someone’s house. Once we hit high school we all branched out on different paths but those formative years at Glenwood would connect us forever. Not just those who could make it this night, all of us I think.
Corrine lived on my street so I was hanging out with her the earliest. I would get in trouble for crossing Des Meurons by myself to get to her place. I was fascinated by her Smurf collection (she had all 100+) and we (I) would play Air Sea Battle on her Atari. My first exposure to video games, thank you very much! I am sure my wife thanks you as well.
Kelly, I met through Corrine I think and we all started hanging out after school in the same circles. She was the one I talked to the most about stuff. She lived a street up from me so I would often catch up to her on the way to school, or the way home, and have good talks.
Melanie, we met at Glenwood when we started there and she and I shared some good times out in Rushing River over a couple of summers. One of my most vivid memories of Melanie was the time I was “doubling” her home on the handlebars of my gold Kuwahara and thought I could go “no hands”. Needless to say, that didn’t end well and I don’t think Melanie got on too many handlebars after that.
Gold “Kuwie”
Dave and I played ball together and for me, that was some of the best times of my life as a kid. I was never an athlete in school but in baseball, I could hang with these guys and Dave was a big part of that time in my life. His brother Ray coached us for one year and he could really motivate me. I went to my first concert ever with Dave and Ray in 1986 at the Winnipeg Arena. It was AC/DC, the “Who made Who” tour and I remember it was so LOUD my ears were still adjusting the next day.
Glory Days
So there we all sit 40 years later talking about our families and our kids. People I haven’t spoken to outside of social media coming together after all these years just to appreciate that time in our lives when we couldn’t have known we were making friendships that would last a lifetime.
On December 3rd, I will be participating in the 2nd Annual Hockey Helps the Homeless Winnipeg Tournament, raising awareness and funding for 3 very deserving local homelessness support agencies in Winnipeg. RAY Youth Centre, Willow Place, and Red Road Lodge.
Each player in the tournament has a minimum goal of $500 to get on to the ice. I am lucky enough to have the support of GB Agencies to help me reach my initial goal of $500 but I am pushing for $1000 total to go above and beyond. If this is something you might typically support I can tell you that all the money raised stays in Winnipeg and there is a tax receipt for all donations $25 and over.
If you’re like me, I never support these things unless the person asking has also made a donation. You won’t see my name on my list of supporters (maybe Shan’s), but I have already donated to a team member and will likely support another to reach their target.
Couple of good old G-Wood boys.
I am very excited about the event and look forward to being out with good friends, for a great cause, playing the game we love. I can’t promise any goals on the ice, but we all get a win with your assist!
My dad used to do this thing at the dinner table that is literally burned into my memory. After supper, he would always have a cup of hot tea. He’d bring it back to the table, add a little milk and sugar, and give it a little stir. Then he would randomly pull out the burning hot teaspoon and casually rest it on my arm or hand until I noticed. I would scream and then we would all laugh. It never got old and this went on well into my adult years.
Family is everything to my dad and he would do anything for us. He used to “tuck us in” at night and if I was cold he would lie across my blankets until they warmed up and was careful not to crush me. We had meetings in the bathroom that mom and Marcy would just never understand and despite a nagging back issue I always had someone to throw the ball with. I remember being like 11 years old playing football in the front yard with my friends and my dad was returning a big kick-off. He pumped a couple of fakes, juked left when he should have juked right, and then down on the grass hard. I remember him lying there on the grass holding his knee when I heard the front window slide open and my mom pressing her face up against the screen – “yooooooou aaaaaaasshole!” she said.
Marcy & head-to-head football
I watched him like a hawk on the weekends doing yard work on that double lot we used to have on Handyside. Mowing that football field of a yard dripping sweat and then still making sure to do the Thorpes. He also did their walk in the winter and made sure the public sidewalk was clean in front of our house. He looked after people like nobody I have ever known and always put the needs of others before his own.
During my glory days, I played hardball for Glenwood CC with the likes of Riel, Clarke, Dowhy, Boychuck, and Serridilla. I used to pitch some games and my dad would find a spot tucked right behind the umpire and every time I was locked into a full count with a batter, or 2 strikes in, I could hear him yell “THAT’S THE ONE…” as soon as I launched off the mound. Didn’t matter what I threw, the batter would swing and I had so many strikeouts that year. Guys on the team always wanted to ride with us after the game because he would take us all for Slurpees! I come by that naturally.
We never had a lot of money but I don’t remember ever going without. I don’t know how many quarters he gave me growing up to play video games at George’s Burgers at the end of the street (enough to finish Double Dragon and master Karate Champ). He even took us to the Ex every year and we all know what a rip-off that can be. He replaced every hockey stick I ever broke. I sometimes found money in my jeans before school if I needed something off the grid. School supplies were sponsored by Manitoba Hydro and we had all the colors of white-out.
The old Hydro truck & Granny Peever
Relationships were his currency and friendships were gold. He would do anything for his people and it seemed like they were always there for him. The furnace is broken? He called a friend. Need a sidewalk poured? He called a friend. Need a tree cut down? The list goes on. It wasn’t until I was older and I would walk into a place to rent a tool and they would see my last name and ask if I was related to Brian Peever. “Just take it…” they would say, “your dad does a lot for us”. When I went for my driver’s test I was met by this huge man who would be taking me on my road test. When it was complete, he said I did really well and started to fill out my paperwork. “Peever?” he said. “Are you related to Brian Peever by chance?” – Then he went on to tell me about a time some guy was giving him a hard time at a pool hall and my dad stepped in. Told me he was badass back in the day and I was like “my dad?”. Sweetest guy I know!
When I say he would do anything for Marcy and me, it was almost to a fault. You almost had to watch what you said around him because he would always want to help. One time I told him I really liked his new padded toilet seat and a couple of days later I came home after work to find ours had been replaced. He would pop into our house while we were at work to “let the dogs out” he would say. Sometimes it was multiple times a day and we always came home to a tidy house with dishes put away and kitchen swept. All the poop in the yard was taken care of. In the summer he would mow the lawn and in the winter he would clear the driveway the best he could. It didn’t matter how many times we told him not to bother. One time we were heading out somewhere and we saw Papa in his car at the stop sign at the corner. We gave him a wave as we drove off and I said “I wonder where Papa is going?” and without missing a beat Ashlyn said, “he’s probably going to clean our house!”.
He would leave the girls treats and little messages. When Lexi started coming home for lunches he started bringing her McDonalds on Fridays so they could have a little visit. He loved the dogs and they loved seeing him even on weekends when he dropped in with donuts the dogs would go bonkers and he would pull something out of his pockets for them. In fact, when we were going through his things I opened up the top drawer on his dresser and there was a sock toy ready to go for them. It was just like him to leave something behind for “his puppies”.
He used to pull up in the driveway and pop his hatch and he would have all kinds of things in there. Stuff that people had given him, or things that he had for other people. It could be anything! “You need a vacuum?” and he would pull one out of the back of his car. When he would take Marcy shopping he would wait in the car and drive around the lot looking to see what people forgot in their carts. “You’d be amazed what I have found in carts…” he would tell me, “will you guys eat these pizza pops?”.
My dad was a guardian angel to so many people. If I believed in all that stuff I would say he was put on this earth to take care of people. He told me about how he used to look after his grandpa Bannister when he was battling cancer. It seemed like such a huge responsibility at such a young age. As a kid, we would go to visit my grandma Phillips and he had such great banter with her. He affectionately nicknamed her “Shorty”. When she was in the care home fighting dementia he used to visit her at least a couple of times per week and would do things like trim her nails and comb her hair. Maintained her dignity and I always thought about how special their bond was. I went with him often to visit Art and Tilley and after Art passed away he would often check in on Tilley to make sure she was doing well. He would often drive Marcy to bingo where he met Lil and he soon became a friend and caregiver for her as well. Driving her to appointments and taking her shopping became a part of his regular routine. He took care of people, that’s what he did.
He took care of my mom for many years and saw her through her aneurysm and knee surgery. Taking on the cooking and cleaning for two as she continues her battle with fibromyalgia. He loved her unconditionally through all 50+ years of blissful marriage. He would visit Marcy almost every day and would bring her coffee and take her out to run errands, buy lottery tickets, and just hang out. He was my “go-to” if I forgot my lunch or Ashlyn needed dry clothes at school because she “fell in a puddle”. He spent nights sleeping on my couch while we were away so that the dogs wouldn’t be alone overnight. He was always there and you don’t even realize how much you take that for granted.
50th Anniversary
When we realized he had cancer it was all so sudden. None of us were prepared. He put on a brave face for all of us in true dad fashion and took it head-on. He continued to make his rounds, oxygen in tow until he was physically unable to do so. His independence was everything to him because without it he felt like a burden. It was our time to take care of him and he would hardly let me drive him to his radiation appointments. His sisters and family were there for him sending love and food and he would say “you don’t have to do that.”. He never wanted people to fuss over him. The day before he passed he got in his car and drove over to Marcy’s place for a drop-in just like any other day. For some reason, this time he stayed for a couple of hours and Marcy made them both breakfast. The following night he fell asleep in his chair watching TV and never woke up. Independent to the end, just how he would have wanted it.
I found a book I gave him for fathers day 10-15 years ago and it was the kind that gives you a sentence and you have to fill in the blanks. On page 32 I found this…
In my teens, my dad used to take me to Garry’s Billiards on Pembina for some good father-son time. From what I understand he used to spend a lot of time (and money) at the pool hall in his teens and it was there he taught me how to play Snooker. One of the things he said to me while lining up a shot I will never forget. He said…
“It’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.”
Looking back now I can see this is as much about Snooker as it is about life.
Heaven is a better place today and it seems like I have been saying that a lot lately. More and more peever.org is quickly becoming my personal obituary. Maybe more of a place to remember people in my life that will always be missed.
I hardly even remember the year I met Walter Gretzky (pre kids). We were planning a trip to visit our good friends Mel and Jeff in Wellesley for New Years and Jeff promised to take me to see the house where Gretzky grew up.
I remember being really nervous for some reason too. When we first arrived Jeff pulled up to the house and parked out front and we all just stared out the window of the car. Jeff was egging me to get out so that I could get my picture taken in the front driveway. There was some hesitation but I finally got out and I think I was taking one of Shan when Walter stepped out on the front steps and politely asked “Hey whatcha doing?”
Of course, we didn’t know what to say and asked his permission to take a couple of photos in front of the house. It wasn’t cell phone days so we had the old school cameras and Jeff’s was as big as Walter’s mailbox. He must have thought we were the press!
Next thing we know Walter invites us into the house “for a visit”. It’s all a blur after that but I do recall sitting in the living room “visiting” and I tried to tell Walter the story of when I met Wayne in Toronto, in his restaurant and Walter wasn’t having any of it. “Wayne who?” he said. Then he told us all about his golf game the other day and this one drive that went for days.
He showed us around the house a little bit and introduced us to Glen who I think may have been just visiting. Glen wasn’t very happy to see us and said something like “…he does this all the time…just don’t take anything” – which is funny because Jeff and I were both eyeballing the TV guide with the Gretzky address sticker on the cover. WHAT? They were just going to throw it out anyway!
We thanked Walter for having us and insisted that we should be on our way and not take up any more of his time. Before we left he insisted that we get some photos around his Christmas tree with Santa. He orchestrated the shots for all of telling us where to stand and seemingly enjoying the whole experience. Then he suggested we finish up the pictures we started outside and posed for a couple out there.
Sidenote: Since that day I have heard all kinds of stories like this so I know I am not special. But Walter is. To say he was GREAT is an understatement.
Last night Shan called me at work to let me know that the air conditioner wasn’t working. First question I asked was “what is the temperature in the house?”
“28” she said.
I called Nolan because he always has a guy. I thought maybe one of our hockey guys might be in the business.
By the time I got home, it was 30. Seemed warmer than outside actually. I checked the breaker, the thermostat, and then I had to call someone. I called Glenn Luff from East St. Paul Mechanical. I met him when my furnace died a couple of winters ago. He came highly recommended by Scott Sullivan and did a great job sorting us out. He went as far as to show me some common things that I could do the next time my furnace was acting up. Awesome guy.
Anyway Glen ran me through a few things to see what was going on over the phone. By this time it was Friday at almost 8pm. Nothing open and nothing going to be open until Monday unless you want to pay for an emergency call. He talked me through how to test the thermostat and make sure it wasn’t that. Then he showed me how to take the thermostat off and give it a little jump start using a wire or paperclip. Still nothing. At the end of the call he said to remove the disconnect so there was no power going to the unit and check the capacitor. If it looks like a can drink in the freezer (top rounding out) then it’s blown.
He was a huge help. When I got off the phone I looked “aircon capacitor” and came across one of the best how-to video’s I ever saw. I actually had to stop what I was doing and go show Shan this video:
Opening my air conditioner I could see the capacitor was blown right away and took it out. It was already 8:35PM and by the time I hit Canadian Tire and Home Depot I was almost out of options.
In my car I Googled “Capacitor Winnipeg” and a list came up and most had a big red “Closed” by the link. Apex Heating & Air Conditioning on Berrydale came up and since it was nice and close I thought I would at least call and leave a message. Someone actually answered but was already at the lake for the weekend. He asked me to send him a picture of my capacitor and said he would get back to me. On my way home he called and said he had found one in Windsor Park that I could buy. I basically went to a guy’s house and he went out to his truck and gave me the part and even showed me how to test it.
I was really impressed at how much these companies were willing to help me fix this. None of them gained from it. I even checked if what I paid for the capacitor was what they actually cost and it was less than the ones I pulled up. It made me want to do a shout out to these guys in the game.
If you need help with your air-conditioner let me know maybe I can help. If not I can put you in touch with one of these awesome companies.
