Faces in the Crowd – Behind The Geranium Window

“Growing up as a child, every home in “Belgium Town”, Inverness, had a geranium in the window.”

Meet Vangie Babin.

Her grandfather came from Belgium to work in the coal mines.

Vangie got her first lessons in client service at an early age, as she and her 10 siblings all had to work at their parent’s store, Van’s Grocery.

Like most teenagers, she was determined to get her driver’s license as soon as she could. Not to be deterred, during driving lessons she had to go especially easy on the gas, as she sported a large cast on a broken ankle.  She took the well-worn path to St. F. X. after high school and only completed her first year.  She would have continued but her application for a student loan was denied … too much family income!  One wonders how the bean counters figured out how a family of 13 could easily manage post-secondary tuition for all.

During her hiatus from university Vangie picked up new skills. She took a stenographers course in Mabou and later was a gas jockey in Ontario.  The latter experience resulted in three marriage proposals at the pumps!

She returned to university and completed her undergraduate degree in English, with a minor in Celtic Studies. During a one year teaching stint in New York she taught the kids a few words of Gaelic.

Still trying to find her niche, she took a computer course in New Glasgow. She hitchhiked every day to and from Antigonish.  When it was suggested that she do some practical work to hone her new found skills, she applied at a funeral home to help them with their “dead records”.

She eventually found a placement at the Antigonish Women’s Resource Center, when she hit the wrong button on the elevator in the Kirk Building, on her way down from an interview on the third floor. And she’s been a key part of the team ever since, assisting women from all walks of life to discover their inner strengths.

Vangie inherited her mother’s artistic streak and loves to sew, cross stitch, crochet and knit. Many of the things that she creates become gifts that are treasured by the recipients of her generosity.  She leads the “Creative Circle” at the Women’s Centre on Mondays.

Three concussions have impacted her life and made her painfully aware not to take anything for granted.

When Vangie eventually writes her book of poetry, maybe we’ll find out what was going on behind those “geranium windows”.