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From YouTube: Stories Behind the Service - Neville S. Roper
Description
Member Memories: The Stories Behind the Service is a Member-narrated video docuseries that highlights the experiences of Members beyond their service records. It explores Alberta’s changing political climate and illustrates the evolution of the role of an elected representative over the past century.
A
B
They
farmed
in
the
northwest
of
cameras.
We
moved
off
the
farm
when
I
was
eight
years
old,
dad
their
dad
got,
hurt
fall
before
we're
on
his
washing
machine
and
he
couldn't
couldn't
go
farming
anymore.
A
B
Was
up
maybe
13,
14
and
I
delivered
groceries
for
Wilson's
store,
they
called
it
and
I
used
to
get
250
a
week,
winning
Wednesday
at
noon
work
all
day,
Saturdays
at
11
o'clock
at
night
and
then
every
day
every
day
after
school,
I'd
have
to
go
down
to
work
for
two
hours,
so
that
was
a
fair
number
of
hours
for
two
dollars
and
fifty
cents.
In
fact,
I
still
go
in
the
same
store
and
shop
for
groceries.
Now.
B
A
B
This
is
the
thing
to
do,
because
there
was
a
fact
that
I
I
tried
to
tried
to
join
up
in
November
and
become
a
part
of
the
Air
Force
Marine
Division,
but
they
they
told
me
that
the
oil
wasn't
enough
demand
that
I'd
have
to
go
in
for
airframe
airframe
mechanic.
So
we
weren't
joined
up
in
Edmonton
and
got
a
got
a
train
and
it's
it's
two
o'clock
in
the
morning
or
three
o'clock
in
the
morning
and
30
below.
B
We
got
to
North
North
Brandon
and
they
took
it,
took
us
in
a
cattle
truck
with
his
canvas
on
the
side,
and
we
all
had
to
Alberta
close
because
it
was
Chinook
and
Hell
where
it
was
a
late
winter.
The
clothing
line,
and
it
was
Manitoba.
It
was
minus
30..
So
we
we
had
to
agreement
vera
for
quite
a
while.
B
B
All
of
a
sudden
collapsed.
There
was
nothing
to
stop
him
from
rolling
down
onto
the
playing
surface.
He
could
accept
our
legs
so
between
it
myself
another
a
couple
of
fellas.
We
managed
to
keep
him
operated.
Eventually,
an
ambulance
came
in
and
he
had
a
he
was.
We
were
told
the
next
day
he
had
an
epileptic
fence
and
he
was
sent
home
discharged.
A
B
Brand
new
building
it
hadn't
been
been
used,
they
built
it
in
Ontario
for
Asylum
and
it
had
bars
bars
on
the
windows
and
everything
else,
but
but
it
was
a
modern
building
and
we
we
trained
there
and
I,
took
my
basic
training.
I
even
met
a
fellow
that
was
from
my
hometown
marimbi
at
the
time
he
was
a
Genesis
in
Libby
and
the
Air
Force
would
recruit
him
to
show
us
the
some
tricks
of
the
trade.
As
far
as
the
tin
Smithy
was
concerned,
his
name
was
wolf
Gordon.
B
B
B
B
We
caught
the
northern
and
Northern
Alberta
Railways
and
went
from
there
up
to
Slave
Lake
and
on
the
railway
and
up
to
up
to
waterways
and
and
Fort
McMurray
and
waterways
was
ever
had
been
a
camp
for
American
soldiers,
putting
up
of
wiring
lines
of
power,
power,
row
elections
and
they
we
were
given
the
job
of
tearing
it
down.
They
issued
us
climbers
or
nobody
knew
where
the
climber
was.
It
was
a
steel
thing.
He
stopped
on
your
legs
and
then
the
dug
your
leg
into
the
bark
on
these
big
trees.
B
We
learned
we
sit
and
skidded
down
sometimes,
but
we
we
learned
how
to
use
them
and
I
got
the
far
apart
lines
torn
down
and
then
we,
then
we
came
back
into
Edmonton
and
I.
Went
back
to
tech
school
and
learned
learned
a
little
bit
more
about
what
we
were
wiring
Motors
and
electrical
panels,
and
things
like
that
when.
A
A
B
Earlier
married
I'd
known
her
a
good
part
of
my
life,
we
went
to
the
same
Sunday,
school
and
stuff
and
we
were
I
said
I
I
was
like
a
good
friend
of
one
or
one
of
her
brothers
and
a
week.
He'd
come
and
stay
with
us
and
encounter
and
we'd
go
and
stay
at
his
place
or
out
in
the
country.
So
we
intermingled,
but
we
always
kept
her
looking
at
each
other
in
the
eye,
I
guess
and
for
February
the
first
we
were
in
our
short
sleeves
and
in
front
of
the
church
in
readier.
B
B
My
dad
caught
me
coming
home
at
six
o'clock
in
the
morning
and
so
that
we
had
to
Spill
the
Beans
because
we
had
a
loaf
to
and
then
after
the
other
one
full
of
people
found
out
about
it.
They
they
did
what
they
call
a
chivalry,
and
so
we
were.
B
I
have
a
black
metal
for
being
a
viral
volunteer
fire
brigade
for
50
years,
Town
counselor.
For
five
years
then
I
became
mayor
of
the
town.
I
was
up
for
11
years,
partly
before
became
MLA
and
partly
after
it
became
MLA.
The
dentist
in
town
treated
places
with
me
when
I
became
elected
in
MLA.
He
he
took
over
with
my
marriage
job
and
then,
when
I
got
defeated
as
an
MLA.
He
because
it
took
over
that
that
position
for
me.
A
B
Associated
leaders
changed
and
they
made
quite
a
difference.
People
and
then,
when
the
premier
lawyer,
the
Kennedy
came
along
and
made
a
lot
of
promises
and
people
people
believed
in
it
and
it
was
a
complete
change
of
government.
Oh,
we
had
a
very
incompetent
social
credit
or
member
lived
in
Ponoka
and
he
didn't
didn't
Serve
the
People
well
and
everybody
said
hey.
Why
don't
you
want?
B
Why
don't
you
run,
and
so
so
I
did
but
I
I
ran
before
I
was
elected,
I
I
ran,
you
didn't
get
elected,
I
was
126
vote
shorts
that
election
and
then
the
next
the
next
election
came
in
when
it
went
in
handling,
and
then
that
was
a
part
of
the
trouble
was
when
the
next
election
came
around
everybody
said:
oh
he's
over
there,
he'll
go
in
and
he'll
go
in,
and
lots
of
people
I
had
a
coffee
with
every
day,
didn't
even
vote.
That
was
the
spilled
milk.
Now
to.
A
Neville,
the
most
important
job
for
an
MLA
involves
talking
to
people
and
doing
what
he
could
to
find
solutions
for
immediate
problems.
He
recalls
that
campaigning
involved
a
lot
of
coffee
shop
visits
and
door-to-door
campaigning
with
long
drives
in
the
rural
community.
He
remembers
his
campaign
team
and
supporters
were
there
within
the
night.
He
was
elected
and
it
was
a
very
exciting
time
with
lots
of
well-wishers
backslapping
and
handshaking
in
the
basement
of
his
house
when
Neville
first
walked
into
the
legislature,
he
remembers
being
awestruck
at
the
marble
and
architecture.
A
A
While
the
session
was
a
short
one
and
there
was
a
lot
of
serious
business
being
discussed,
the
members
also
tried
to
have
a
little
fun
one
member
Clarence
copperthorne
always
wore
cowboy
boots
and
would
take
them
off
and
set
them
aside.
His
desk,
the
other
mlas,
had
secretly
moved
them
around
and
passed
them
down
the
line
until
they
got
to
the
pages.
Who
would
carry
them
out
of
the
chamber?.
B
A
Looking
back
Neville
said:
if
there
was
one
thing
he
would
have
changed,
it
would
have
been
to
try
and
not
please
everyone.
He
remembers
he
couldn't
be
everywhere
at
once.
However,
he
was
able
to
please
a
great
number
of
people
with
what
he
still
considers
one
of
his
greatest
accomplishments
as
an
MLA,
bringing
the
first
seniors
Lodge
to
rimby.
A
B
Worked
really
hard,
I
was
quite
happy.
I
didn't
get
to
cut
the
ribbon
because
by
that
time
it
was
it
was
the
next
spring
and
Dr
McCrimmon
was
the
official
official
member
of
the
time,
but
most
most
people
knew
that
I
had
done
all
all
the
groundwork.
A
B
In
fact,
I
never
never
quit
MLA
and
money
wasn't
today,
I
didn't
hear
enough
to
keep
going
and
so
I
I
had
to
sort
of
it
was
the
internet,
International,
Harvester
or
Machinery
any
all
kinds
of
farming
farm
implements
and
come
to
a
Monday
afternoon
session.
For
example,
I'd
leave
rimby
at
at
noon
and
I
had
come
across
country
between
Ruby
and
wetasco
and
Arabian
Ponoka,
and
to
call
in
the
farmers
trying
to
sell
the
machinery,
and
we
had
to
keep
going
because
otherwise,
I
didn't
start
today.
A
B
B
In
the
South
Pacific,
we
were
into
the
Guam
and
we
got
down
in
New
Zealand
and
we
were
there
and
we
got
caught
in
a
strike
and
we
had
to
stay
10
days
longer
than
we're
supposed
to
before
before
they
could
get
us
out
of
there.
We
had
lots
of
lots
of
the
interesting
times
and
different
other
places
in
the
South
Pacific.
A
After
youth
passing
Neville
traveled
back
to
Cuba,
once
more
with
his
daughter
Lisa,
he
drove
the
Alaska
Highway
alone
and
made
numerous
trips
to
California
to
visit
his
daughter
Lisa,
who
was
living
and
working
there,
he
celebrated
its
78th
birthday,
helping
to
build
houses
on
Fiji
with
Habitat
for
Humanity.
We.
B
A
Never
went
to
slow
down
nettle's
family
said
he
never
considered
himself
to
be
busy.
Some
say
he
invented
the
power
nap
and
would
come
home
at
lunch.
Sit
in
his
chair
and
nap
for
exactly
10
minutes
before
waking
up
alert
and
ready
for
action.
He
learned
to
use
a
computer
for
the
first
time
when
he
turned
80.
A
prior
to
that
he
said
he
was
always
too
busy
to
sit
down
long
enough
to
learn
after
he
learned
to
use
his
computer
and
while
he
was
still
traveling,
he
would
often
research
his
trips
and
then
book
the
flights
and
hotels
online.
He
still
uses
his
computer
daily
for
email
and
to
read
the
news
and
to
take
Zoom
calls
from
his
family
and
friends.
A
A
Addition
to
his
many
activities,
Neville
is
keeping
busy
just
being
a
hundred
reflecting
on
some
of
the
changes
over
the
past
Century.
He
says
that
when
he
went
to
school
there
were
no
buses
and
he
had
to
walk
3.5
Miles
by
Road
or
cut
through
the
Moors
field,
so
it
was
shorter
in
the
winter
he
would
get
to
school
by
a
horse-drawn
sleigh.
B
Basically,
a
straightforward
living
I
wasn't
afraid
of
hard
work
when
it
came
around
or
that
I
also
welcome
change
that
we
needed
to
be
stay
honest
and
trying
to
try
and
interpret
the
life
ahead
of
pitfalls
that
come
up
and.