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7| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,D ecem ber 7,2017 theifp.ca Ser·en·dip·i·ty, noun: serendipity: the occur- rence and development of events by chance, in a hap- py or beneficial way. I believe things happen for a reason - perhaps even divine intervention. Last week, The Sidekick and I experienced a phe- nomenon I call serendipity. It started when one of my nephews checked on- line to see what shows were playing at Burlington Per- forming Arts Centre. He'd spent some time in the Maritimes, and developed a taste for maritime music. He spotted a show, The Men of the Deeps, a coal miners' choir from Cape Breton Island. It was a Christmas show, and he in- vited his parents to go. He also invited my other sister and her husband, along with The Sidekick and me. We enjoy maritime mu- sic, and were delighted to attend. The Men of the Deeps choir consists of working and retired coal miners from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. Organized in 1966, the choir's goal is to preserve the folklore and music of the island's coal mining communities. At one point, Rita McNeil per- formed with them. Two of the members of the choir are charter members. We settled into our seats, and as the choir came onstage by the light of the miner's lamps on their helmets, they started into their repertoire, a mix of Christmas songs and traditional coal miner songs. It was quite a show. Throughout the perfor- mance, one of the members would introduce a song, tell a story of Christmas in a coal mining town, or per- form a solo. The director introduced the various members; most were from Glace Bay, but two were from New Water- ford. One was Nipper Mac- Leod. The Sidekick perked up at the mention of New Wa- terford. Danell, one of her longtime friends, grew up in New Waterford, and The Sidekick attended her wed- ding there. She also met Danell's father, Stewart Cameron. During the intermis- sion, the choir members mingled with the patrons, and The Sidekick tracked down 'Nipper.' "Did you ever know of Stewart Cameron?" she asked Nipper. "Oh my God!" said Nip- per, "I sang at his funeral. He was such a lovely man." The Sidekick talked to Nipper a bit more about Stewart, then texted Da- nell, to tell her about meet- ing Nipper. It'd been a cou- ple years since she'd talked to Danell, but she respond- ed in minutes. "I cannot believe you sent me this text," wrote Danell. "Today my dad would have been 79. I miss him terribly. We lost him five years ago, Dec. 27. He died in his sleep. Thanks so much for sending this." The Sidekick told Da- nell about talking to Nip- per. "He sang at my dad's fu- neral," wrote Danell, "What a wonderful man." The Sidekick replied. "I guess me connecting you by text on his birthday is your dad's way of saying he's watching over you," she wrote. "And it reminds us that old friendships are never lost, and will always only be a call or text mes- sage away." Danell, The Sidekick and I all had a warm, fuzzy feelings as we pondered the chain of events. The next day at work, The Sidekick told her co- workers about Nipper singing at Stewart's funer- al, and the serendipity. It doesn't stop there: one of her co-workers had a grandfather who grew up in New Waterford. His brothers all worked in the coal mine - Mine #12. After checking with Da- nell, they learned Stewart also worked at Mine #12. They all worked together. Although we live in a very large country, it never ceases to amaze me how close we are to one another. Call it coincidence or serendipity, but when two old friends reconnect - es- pecially moving into the Christmas season - it's wonderful. And in doing so, one res- urrected warm, comfort- ing memories of her late fa- ther and the other was de- lighted to have been a part of it ... Well, that's serendipity. COLUMN Serendipity and The Men of the Deeps TED BROWN A Ted Bit Take a chance on university grads University graduation no longer seems like an ac- complishment, but the be- ginning of a never-ending horror movie. Job availability in to- day's workforce has be- come slim to none, leaving many graduates struggling to find a way into their de- sired field. A multitude of factors has contributed to the de- crease in the supply of jobs but the key factor is the ag- ing workforce. Overquali- fied graduates are forced to seek part-time, minimum wage jobs, leaving them with little income and no relevant job experience. Not only is the issue dis- heartening the graduates, but it's also setting up the economy for failure in the future - for they are the fu- ture. We should begin to think before we hire the older more experienced worker and take a chance on the millennials; give them the opportunity to succeed. They need to learn be- fore there is no one left to teach them. Valerie Harris Brock University student Prime Minister should apologize to babies of abortion as well I watched and listened to PM Justin Trudeau's apology to the LGBTQ2 community in the House of Commons on Nov. 28. Dur- ing his historical summa- ry, I could not help but write down his statements that were used to encom- pass the proposed reconcil- iation. Here are some quotes: "lives were ruined at the hands of their own govern- ment," "lost their dignity," "subjected to violence and aggression," "causing ir- reparable pain," "making you invisible," "state-spon- sored oppression," "above all, you were innocent," "we were wrong," "we have failed you," "we have be- trayed you," "the govern- ment's responsibility is to keep their citizens safe," and "never again will Ca- nadian government be re- sponsible for so much pain." "We are sorry." I would pray and hope that PM Trudeau could find it in his heart to apply the same apology to all the babies of abortion, since it was his father Pierre, in his role as justice minister and then as prime minister, who legislated Liberal abortion laws. Reta Dunn LETTER Furnace Air Conditioning Gaslines Boilers Water Heaters Radiant Heating 905-877-3100 proud local dealer of Canadian made products .ca • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 Wehandleall insurance work. We handle all insurance work. • your window & door professionals • 11 Mountainview Rd., N. Georgetown, ON L7G 4T3 905.873.0236 www.buy-wise.ca info@buy-wise.ca • awarded readers choice 27 times • Visit our showroom Reader says the Prime Minister should apologize for lives lost to abortion. Metroland file photo