SUZANNE SEARLE

Well, where does one start? It has been a long time.

I went to U of M after high school and graduated w/ a B.A (English Lit major) in 1972. I soon realized that I had no real lucrative skills, so I enrolled in nursing at the Health Sciences School of Nursing, graduating w/ the Gold Medal in 1975. I subsequently became interested in intensive care nursing and graduated from the HSC intensive care nursing course in 1978. I have worked in many areas of health care over the years, intensive care (adults and children), instructor of mat/child nursing and intensive care nursing, hemodialysis nursing, etc. I have written curricula for various nursing post grad courses. I presently coordinate an outpatient clinic in Calgary for the Southern Alberta Renal Program for patients w/ chronic kidney failure.

Enough about all the C.V. trivia. That is my job ,which I enjoy, but not my actual life. I lived in Winnipeg until 1984 ( last on Campbell St, in fact). I continued to visit my family cottage at Gimli until my parents sold it when they retired to B.C. in 1989. I still go up to ‘the lake’ when I am in Manitoba ,as it remains one of my favorite places in the world.After several interesting  relationships in Wpg., I moved to Riding Mountain National Park at Clear Lake in 1985 and lived w/ and married John Hoogstraten . John grew up on Montrose (he is older than us) and he had moved there in 1974 and had taken up farming. In 1981, he bought the trail ride business at Onanole , near the park ,and became a Parks Canada guide. I took a break from nursing and ran the business w/ him. It was a total departure from my previous life but very exhilirating. John actually had gone to Kelvin as did his first cousins Jane, Taylor, Derek and Anne Hoogstraten.  He also lived across the street from me on Queenston St (when I lived w/ my parents) w/ his then wife, Vonnie von Helmolt. Winnipeg, as I have been reminded many times, is like a large Venn diagram, lots of intersecting circles.

In 1985, after a particularly brutal winter, we decided to move the business, horses et al to Naramata, BC near Penticton. We lived there till 1992 . John did the horse business and I  returned to nursing at the Penticton Hospital. Our daughter, Rachael ,was born there in April,1989. Naramata is very beautiful and alluring but, nevertheless, wanderlust hit again and we moved to the Alberta foothills south and west of Calgary in 1992. It is a happy medium between the prairies that we love and the mountains. The Okanagan  actually was too hot for us. We love it here. We live 15 mins from the Kananaskis Country where bighorn sheep abound. Rachael is thriving. She is an excellent student and rides a horse expertly, Western of course. She is very tall and lithe (like most Hoogstratens). She is a joyous child.

John has two grown daughters that live in Wpg . My own family live all over Canada. My brother Hart lives in Calgary w/ his family and he works for Imperial Oil. My parents live in Abbotsford ,B.C. in there own home and are still self sufficient, My brother Paul lives in North Vancouver w/ his family and provides alot of support to our parents. Matthew, my youngest brother, lives in Montreal. They are all well.

John is an excellent banjo and slide guitar player and for many years we have entertained ourselves playing music w/ our friends. I seem to be able to sing adequately and so does Rachael. I am very involved in Black Diamond ( where I live) w/ the Beneath the Arch concert series. We (the selections committee) book 6-7 top notch concerts annually ( non- profit organisation) so that we can hear excellent live music all year and not drive to Calgary. It is a very popular venue and fun to do. I have lots of dogs , one cat, one bird. We ride all the time as John now works running a riding program in Bragg Creek for disadvantaged and disabled children at No Ka Oi Ranch. We no longer own horses as we live in ‘town’ but ride the ranch horses. Bragg Creek is close to our town, but farther west into the Foothills.

I shall try to get the photo thing together but failing that, I would love to hear from anybody who wishes to contact me. I promise that I will answer you.