MY STORY
A view of downtown Bear River, the
"Switzerland" of Nova Scotia
MY STORY
A view of downtown Bear River, the
"Switzerland" of Nova Scotia
I was born on 05 January, 1939, and my sister, Carole Anne, was born on 27 December, 1940. We grew up in Bear River, the "Switzerland of Nova Scotia." This village of 500 souls was 4 miles off the main Route #101, and had a very strong sense of community.
It was a wonderful place to grow up due to the many attractions for a young boy: the
numerous trout-filled brooks, proximity to school, plenty of country fresh air, good
swimming places, beautiful scenery, dedicated sports enthusiasts with local baseball
and hockey teams, abundant wild life in the surrounding woods, a strong church-going
regimen, and I was accepted as a full member of our own tight little corner of the
world.
We were very proud of our community. It was home to the World Men's Log-Rolling Champion, the North American Men's Log-Rolling Champion, The World Women's' Log-Rolling Champion and our local baseball team became the Maritime Intermediate Baseball Champions in 1950. It was a unique place in a unique part of the world.
It was not until the 1950s that Television entered our homes and consequently
community spirit throughout the country collapsed. I went to school at Oakdene
School in Bear River, then to Annapolis Royal Academy for two years, then to
Northern Vocational High School in Toronto for two years, then to Digby
Regional High School, where I became the School's Chess and Checker champions.
I graduated with honours at the Junior Matriculation level, with the
highest provincial scores in our class in economics, geometry, and history.
At that time, boys were expected to get out and work when they could - so I picked strawberries at Bruce Reid's farm at 12, helped with the construction of the new Bear River Fire Hall, sold Christmas cards door to door, picked and sold Dandelion Greens, trapped Raccoons for the bounty ($1.00 each). While in Toronto, I got a job at 14 at the Canadian National Exhibition and worked as a bus boy at the St. Charles Balcony Restaurant in the Manufacturer's Building.
Later, I became a "pin boy" at the Olympia St.
Clair Bowling Alley. I also joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets (283 Squadron
at Fort York Armories) where I won second place in the DCRA rifle target shooting, and in
1955, I joined the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserve for a summer of training as a Safety
Equipment Technician.
In 1956, back home in Nova Scotia, I
trapped and sold wild Varying Hares (75 cents each), worked on clearing brush for the Nova
Scotia Power Corporation during Spring break in 1956, and I joined the West Nova Scotia
Regiment of the Canadian Army (Militia), where I won the cup for being the best rifle
marksman in the Regiment.. In the summer of 1956, I participated in a Junior NCO
training course at Aldershot, Nova Scotia and became a qualified NCO in the Militia at the
age of 16.
In 1957, I decided to get an electronics trade
and joined the regular Royal Canadian Air Force. I became a Communications Tech
(Ground) and eventually achieved the top level of Group 3Z. 
Graduation
class at RCAF Clinton. That's me with my eyes closed in the front row
My first station in the field was at Chatham, New Brunswick, a fighter jet training base, and the home of the "Golden Hawks", Canada's aerobatics team at the time.
My second field station was at Gander, Newfoundland.
On August 1st, 1960, I married Leda Rita Poirier at
L'Assomption Cathedral in Moncton, NB.
We moved to my third field station which was St. Hubert, Quebec.
My fourth field station was at the NORAD CC/DC in North Bay, Ontario.
We had four children: Bradley Douglas in 1961, Harold William in 1962, and twins, Diana
Anne Frances, Darlene Anne Ruby (Kalin) in 1964.
In late 1964, I resigned from the RCAF and went to the Distant Early Warning (DEW)
Line in the Canadian Arctic for Federal Electric Corporation, a Defence Contract
Company for the United States Air Force. After a year there, I joined the
Department of Transport (DOT) in Moncton, as an Electronics Technician.
In the DOT, I was assigned to the CCGS Labrador, a heavy ice-breaker, as the
ship's entire electronics section for 2 1/2 years.
Then I worked out of Moncton, NB, as a Ship Project Officer installing
electronics systems in Canadian Coast Guard ships and other non-military ships
operating in Atlantic
Canada. In 1970, I joined the Atlantic Region Flight Inspection team
as Calibrations Officer.
In 1973, I became the first DOT Air Services Electronic technician to be
seconded to
the Canadian Coast Guard in a program to provide a dedicated Telecom Branch for the Coast
Guard. I went to CCG Base Dartmouth as the Supervisor of Electronics Systems
installations in all non-military government ships on the Atlantic coast of
Canada, which included two Coast Guard Regions, Maritimes and Newfoundland.
In 1980 and again in 1981, I was seconded to Canadian Coast Guard Headquarters in
Ottawa as acting CCG Telecom Logistics Officer.
In 1983, I married Leah Lorraine Evans and we had a daughter, Tanya Lorraine.
In 1983, I went to Vancouver, BC where I filled a similar position in CCG
Western Region as I had held in
Dartmouth.
In 1985, I became the Chief of Electronic Inspection for the Department of Supply
and Services (DSS) in Hull, Quebec. Lorraine died tragically in January, 1986 and was
buried in the MacGregor family plot in Smiths Cove, Nova Scotia..
Leah Lorraine (nee Evans)
MacGregor (02 Dec 1946 - 15 Jan 1986)
In 1987, I joined the MLS Major Crown Project and I was responsible for developing standards for the flight inspection of Microwave Landing Systems in Canada. I retired at 55 in 1994 near Merrickville, Ontario.
In my public service career, I have been based at St. Jean, Quebec; Clinton, Ontario; Chatham, NB; Gander, Nfld; St. Hubert, Quebec; Biloxi, Mississippi; North Bay, Ontario; Streater, Illinois; Longstaff Bluff DEW line station, NWT; DOT Atlantic Regional Office, Moncton, New Brunswick; Dartmouth CG Base, Nova Scotia; CCG Maritimes Regional Office, Dartmouth; CCG Western Regional Office, Vancouver, BC; and, Ottawa, Ontario.
In my 36 year career as a Public Servant of Canada, I have been accredited with over 30 courses comprising more than four years of study. I have received five Suggestion Awards and two long-service awards from the Government of Canada.
Harold Stanley MacGregor, born 5 January 1939; married (1) Leda Rita Poirier, daughter of Joseph Leonard Poirier, and Marie Valinda Bulger; married (2) Leah Lorraine Evans, daughter of Donald Evans and Anna Macpherson; (died 15 Jan 1986), married (3) Martha Jeanne Nadeau, daughter of Armand Nadeau and Aldegonde Poirier - on 29 September 2001..
Children by Leda:
i. Bradley Douglas MacGregor, born 15 September 1961.
ii. Harold William MacGregor, born 3 December 1962.
iii. Diana Anne Frances MacGregor, (twin); born 23 March 1964.
iv. Darlene Anne Ruby (Kalin) MacGregor, (twin); born 23 March 1964.
Children by Leah Lorraine:
v. Tanya Lorraine MacGregor, born 10 June 1976.
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