Faces in the Crowd – A Shot of Sunshine

She has been blessed with a sunny disposition. “I think I give off a happy vibe.  Life is good.  Enjoy it.”

Meet Pat Cranford

It was a circuitous route that took Pat from Goose Cove, Newfoundland to North Lakevale Road. She and her eight siblings learned about respect from their parents, especially her mother, who was the undisputed boss of the house.  Her father was a raconteur who was known for his telling of “mouth stories.”

After completing an LPN course after high school, she and a friend (her future husband!) headed west and spent a few years in Nanaimo. Don started working on boats, which was to become his career, and Pat joined him for several years.  There were other stops in Thunder Bay, New Orleans and Halifax before they finally settled in Antigonish County.  On a trip back from Newfoundland to Ontario, they stopped in Antigonish to visit a friend.  He told them about a property out in the country.  Asked why they chose Antigonish, Pat says that they owned two trunks of worldly possessions that they had been hauling around for years, and they needed a home for them.

Her neighbors on North Lakevale Road became her family and, as they all started to have families, they created their own neighborhood daycare. Each household took a turn looking after all the children a couple of days a week.

Pat’s first job in Antigonish was with the late Brock Eliot at the original location of Sunflower Natural Foods on College Street. She worked at a variety of jobs until she discovered tax preparation, a career that would last 30 years … and counting.

When she’s not busy extending her signature Newfoundland generosity far and wide, Pat can be found doing Swedish weaving or tending to her flower beds and gardens. The large pond on the property serves as a swimming hole, skating rink and a fishing hole.

Her nemeses are the squirrels who routinely invade her walnut tree. She has been known to grab her trusty slingshot and fire a few volleys of alley marbles … strictly warning shots!

“I have been very lucky,” Pat declares. So are the many people who count her as a friend.