Midland, Ont.,

May. 21, 1944.

Dear Ma Pa Rub & Ruth:

I will just be able to write you a few lines to-day, so I will be able to get this letter in the “Post Office” by 4 o’clock. If I dont get the letter in by then the mail wont leave here until to-morrow afternoon.

I had to work this morning A box car load of supplies came in yesterday and the XO wanted it unloaded to-day so he asked us if we would give them a hand. It is not our job to do the work we did this morning, we were more or less just helping them out. We didn’t get back for dinner until one o’clock so it is now two o’clock.

Last night Larson and I ended up at the Parkview Dance Pavilion again. We walked down to the “Post office” just before ten o’clock and the lieutenant who came here to take “Eatons yacht” down to Toronto was driving up the street and when he seen us he stopped and we talked with him for a while. He has a swell car, it is a “La Salle Coupe” and almost new. After we had talked with him for a while, Larson and I left and thought we would walk up a down the main street. While walking down the street the lieutenant passed us and it wasnt long before he had driven down to the end of the street and he again passed us going the other way. When we were talking to him he was saying what an awful place this was for amusement, and he didn’t know what to do. Besides himself there is only one other officer here now the XO. The rest of the officers must have gone back to Toronto. Well anyway when we were on our way back up the street again the lieutenant was sitting in his car listening to the radio, so we asked him if he would like to take a run out to the “Parkview”. He said that he would like to so that is how we got to go there. He sure is a swell fellow this lieutenant, and he was telling us that he is going to merry a “New York” girl three weeks from now. The XO happened to be at the dance too with a young lady so the lieutenant danced with her once. I didn’t’ dance at all last night, just didn’t feel like it. We were only there a little over an hour as the place closes at 12 o’clock. All I did was talk to the officers. The X.O. is the fellow I have to see about getting away on the week end so I thought I would ask him about it. I told him that my brother would probably be coming to Toronto soon and that I would like to get the week end off to be able to go and see him. He said that it would probably be alright so that was a load off my mind. I was beginning to get a little worried with these officers coming around things get more strict then. When we were talking to the lieutenant that we went to the dance with, we mentioned to him that it seemed funny that we shouldnt be confirmed shipwrights when they send us up here with no confirmed shipwrights to tell us what to do. The Chief P.O. in charge here is a “Motor Mechanic” so he doesn’t know anything about our work. He the lieutenant said that he thought we were quite right and that he would speak to the Chief P.O. Motor Mechanic about it, and would point out to him some of the work we had done. So maybe when I leave here I may be a confirmed shipwright, be able to wear brass buttons. I dont see why not because I believe Larson and myself know as much as any of them as far as our work goes. Oh well I will just have to wait and see how things go. All I’m worrying about now is that I will be able to get to see you Rub. Thats what I am look-ing forward to right now.

After the dance last night we went down into tour and had a cup of coffee and then Larson and myself went back and hit the hay.

I have talked to quite a few people here, in the boatyard, the hardware store, and the lumber yard and other places, and whenever they ask me where I come from, and I tell them Vancouver, they all say that they sure would like to live there. They have been mostly all told by people they know who have been there what a swell place it is. So it just goes to show how swell Vancouver really is, when people out here would like to live there too.

Well it wont be long now before I will be phoning you. I will be going down to the Hotel to phone right after I have had my supper, that will be about 6.30. I sure hope that I will be lucky this time and not keep you all waiting too long. It sure will be swell to talk to you all again.

Well I sure hope that you are all alright at home. I am okay here. I guess I will have to stop for now but will write again to-morrow.

Love to you all

Art.