Memories
Memories Of A PMQ Brat
On the street where I lived...
Even now as I drive through the PMQ’s at CFB Chilliwack, I can’t believe the
memories that envelope me. Where did the time go? What has become of all the kids I knew?
Many over the years came and went, and came again as their fathers’ were posted to and from
the Base. Many PMQ brats are still living in the area, married to ex-service personnel or
boys they went to school with. Some were fortunate and were not posted often, or they were
posted back after a few years at another base. It wasn’t unusual to have a friend in
elementary school, lose them to a posting in Junior High and graduate with them in Senior High.
I consider myself one of the fortunate ones; I lived at CFB Chilliwack from the time I was
four years old until I had finished High School, married a service man and was posted east.
My dad, Jim Stevenson was posted to Headquarters at “Camp” Chilliwack, as it was then known, in
the summer of l951 as the Chief Administration Clerk. There weren’t many PMQ’s available at the
time and until we were able to move into one we lived at the Orchard Trailer Park on Yale Rd.
It’s still there and I believe still owned by the Hatch family. I remember dad telling me that
an older woman who lived there used to ride with Jesse James, but that’s another story.
When we did move into PMQ’s it was into #11 Coquitlam Road, it was one of few PMQ’s that had been
built just after the war, about 1950, by the Engineers as On Job Training. There were fireplaces
in each one and these residences were much sought after. The fireplace became THE spot to have
family pictures taken. I can’t remember very much about that PMQ as I was very young, the only
thing I do remember is the old cast iron radiator that supplied us with heat. At 4 years old and
not very tall they were very intimidating. Also I believe we had a claw tooth bathtub. We were only
supposed to be at Camp Chilliwack for a maximum of, “Not more then 3 years”, but dad liked it so much….
I think he hid behind his desk in hopes that the posting fairy wouldn’t find him and he never did.
Dad retired in the same position after 33 years in the service. Mind you mom didn’t always like it.
I can remember her telling friends how it took her six months to get used to the rain and the feeling
that mountains weren’t closing in on her. Just a big city girl from eastern Canada eh!!
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