1976-77 Back to school

Although I did enjoy working at Tenco, Jim was always encouraging me to get a trade or something that would be more challenging for me.

My Mum had similar advise and I had planned to attend a trade school if and when I decided which field interested me most.
(While in grade ten I was ready to quit and I had seen a counsellor at Vancouver Vocational School located in downtown Vancouver where I had a tour of the shops and a personal interview.
Diesel mechanics and heavy duty mechanics were the two areas that I found most intriguing.
My math was not up to the requirements for diesel mechanics and the counsellor advised me that, although grade ten was the requirement to attend most courses, I would be better off to stick it out.
My Mum had worked with my school counsellor to allow me to take courses that were of use to my future plans and cut out the unnecessary ones.
Once this was done I continued on and did graduate in 1975.)

It  happened that a friend of Mum's was an administrator at the Pacific Vocational Institute that had recently opened near Haney (about 40 miles East of Vancouver in Maple Ridge) in the old Haney Correctional Facility for minor offenders.
Mum and I drove out one Saturday to see the facility and talk with her friend who kindly agreed to meet us as she caught up with work on a day off.
The facility had a definite prison atmosphere with a guard house at the entrance and barred windows, gates and big dormitory wings.
I looked over the offered variety of courses offered and immediately picked out a totally new recognized trade - Inboard/outboard marine mechanic.

Having always liked boating and being around the water  I pictured myself occupied at a marina repairing speed boats and yachts while owning my own water craft.

The very first course had just finished with  the students having success at placements as apprentices and the second course was set to begin in May, a few months in the future.

I applied then and there and took advantage of the BC government apprenticeship financial grants then available that allowed me to collect unemployment insurance and a fuel subsidy while in attendance.

The next week I advised Frank of my plan and they were all very supportive and soon hired a fellow who would be trained as my replacement.

It was back to the routine as I looked ahead with great enthusiasm.

Jim  was his usual self telling me it was too bad I didn't have a war to take part in as he had.
He had a son several years older than me who he badgered into joining the U.S. Marines in order to fight in Vietnam where he luckily survived to return home in one piece.

Frank enjoyed acting like a drill sergeant with the staff, barking commands with a sly grin.
To me he would yell things such as "Get out to Surrey!!!" throwing a delivery sheet at me or sneak up behind us to shout "Oi!!"

Jim was terrible in his sexual harassment of the ladies and today would be in hot water to say the least for groping them, trapping them in warehouse aisles to expose himself and using terms that made me wince.
My Mum was incredulous as I recounted his exploits regularly.

Mum was worried about his influence over me as I listened to his Fascist ideas and John Wayne-like views of the world.

Jim's advances didn't seem to worry the ladies much. They would shriek and laugh- even the very sheltered Fijians.

I had a very nice going away party and received a nice set of tools in a tool box as a gift.
I had planned to have a few weeks holiday before starting school, but soon after resigning I was informed the course was delayed two months.

Luckily Frank, on learning this asked me back to work and I put in a couple more months in a pleasant frame of mind.

Finally at the beginning of July I headed out to Haney from Richmond for the start of my technical training.

I had recently sold my old Galaxy and bought a recently retired RCMP 1974 Plymouth Fury that proved to be a nice cruiser although hard on fuel. Although very large, the heavy duty suspension gave it sports car-like handling and teeth rattling springs as I crossed railroad tracks.
I had it repainted an official looking beige over the original royal blue very similar to the photo.
It was humorous to notice cars unwilling to pass me on the 401 as I headed to and from school.

Class began at 8 and I left the house just after 7, arriving in time to have coffee with the other students as they gathered in the lounge.
The class consisted of quite a group of characters, mainly in their early twenties with two young ladies added to the roster.

Our instructor was a friendly,ruddy faced Scot named Ken Nichol.
Dressed in white lab coat he would teach us theory in the morning, followed by shop work in the afternoon.

The class room and shop were located in the cool basement of the facility where we were in comfort on hot summer days.
Some of the more notable classmates I had resembled certain celebrities.

One who I only remember for my nickname of "Spinner" resembled the hippy fellow pictured and was a wild and disruptive character who was probably under the influence much of the time.

We enjoyed after lunch when he was always late returning and Ken with his brogue would enquire "Where's Spinerrrrrr?"

While working he would often jump on my back and force me to piggy back him around the  shop before returning to his bench.
Another lively fellow was Glenn "Scott" Kelly who we soon named

There was Harold "Mick Jagger" Pinter too who called everyone "Hey Bozo!!"

We had two coffee breaks plus an hour at lunch and soon found we had too much time on our hands and formed a rough volleyball team using the large gym on site.

Stripping to his tank top, Glenn would display an ugly scar encircling his somewhat withered right arm a result of its being torn off in a car crash as a young boy. It seemed unaffected and functioned normally.
The whole class with the exception of the two girls who kept to themselves would assemble on the court for rousing games.

I seemed to have an accurate serve and was named "Shooter" by the others.(The first time I had been notable in a sporting event).

We practised enough to easily beat every other class that challenged us.
The games became so rough that on one occasion when spiking the ball over the net the steel pole came loose from the floor, striking and knocking out one of our team.

"Neanderthal" Dave, the school's medic had to be summoned to help revive him.

The unaccustomed popularity I enjoyed among my mates was the highlight of my time at the school along with the also unusual praise I received from Ken on my progress and ability.

I was always asked along on outings for lunch away from the institute  to pubs and restaurants in nearby Haney.
Another pastime was exploring the bowels of the facility where barred gates and cells still existed.

Our shop work consisted of dismantling and reassembling various inboard and outboard motors and test running them in large vats of water located outside where they could run simulating their normal operation.

Classroom theory often included films, some of a safety nature.
One film we watched first thing one morning depicted the result of not wearing safety glasses necessitating the fellow having a sliver removed from his eye with a magnet.

As the film finished and the lights went on we turned towards Ken as he operated  the projector to see him quite green against his white coat as he swayed over the machine nearly faint.

Of course we all teased him afterwards, sometimes calling out in the shop "Get The magnet!!"

Shortly before the course's completion on a mid- December afternoon it snowed heavily.
I had decent snow tires and was unconcerned as I headed homeward along with the three classmates I carpooled with.

We got as far as the old Essondale asylum when the car suddenly quit.

We had to push it to the shoulder which was very narrow due to a security fence along the grounds.
Two of my mates decided to hitch as they lived in nearby Port Coquitlam while Lance and I went in to use the phone at the asylum.
It was a spooky place as I stood at a nurses station phoning BCAA who of course were swamped due to the weather.

Nobody was home at either  of our places so we decided to get walking.
Having no money we had to slog five hours through Port Coquitlam, New Westminster and most of Richmond until a few miles from our destination someone picked up us dangerous characters to drive us to our apartment on Minoru Blvd.

Lance was able to find someone at home to pick him up for his ride to Delta and I soaked in the bath, had a big meal and went to bed.

My car had to be impounded as it was in a bad spot and cost almost $100.00 to be towed home to Richmond where the repairs cost about $5.00. It was a simple ignition ballast resistor that are notorious in Chrysler products as the usual cause of engine stalling. I always carried a spare thereafter.
Soon after, we all attended the big boat show in the Coliseum where we were quite encouraged with the feedback from hopeful employment prospects we talked with.

My final grade was near the top of the class and I was quite pleased with myself finally applying some effort into my schooling.
As we left the institute Ken promised to keep in touch and was true to his word.