Hidden Gems

Posted on October 31, 2015 under Storytelling with no comments yet

Two of the finest people you could meet

 

 

“So far away … doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore…”

So Far Away – Carole King

Some folks, by fate or by choice, remain in the same town or city their entire lives. Some people, especially this latest generation of youngsters, have a severe case of wanderlust and live nomadic existences.  Work forces many to travel across the country and indeed around the world.  Many of these individuals eventually find the gravitational pull of home so strong that they pack up and head back, trading big wages for family and perhaps the chance to live near the ocean.  A small handful of people move somewhere else for employment for a couple of years and a community discovers them.  Roots are planted and giant trees of connectivity grow.

Such are the lives of Dr. Ken Murray and his wife, Linda, who moved to South Harbour, Cape Breton in the mid 70’s and remain there to this day.

You would never know that you are on your way to paradise when you come off the Cabot Trail just beyond Neil’s Harbor and head down the Old Road Loop. The first few hundred yards are fairly non-descript until you come to the end of the driveway and gaze out at South Harbour and the grandeur of the mountains as its backdrop.  Ken and Linda have spent their entire lives in the same house, although it has undergone many changes and additions over the years to accommodate a growing family.

Ken discovered the magic of the area during his university years when he found summer employment at Keltic Lodge. At the behest of Dr. Ron Stewart, Ken decided to do a two year stint at the Hospital in Neil’s Harbour.  It turned into forty three years … and counting.

As newlyweds, Ken and Linda bought their first home and it was anything but palatial. It was sitting on the ground with no basement and no insulation.  They had to be careful in the winter not to leave the cat’s milk dish in the kitchen overnight as it would freeze.  The house became a home.

Despite shepherding four small children, it didn`t take Linda long to get engaged within the community. She became involved in a myriad of activities including the home and school association, the hospital auxiliary and the local ski club, to name but a few organizations.  Over the years she gained the reputation as a consummate organizer.  When something needed doing, Linda had the capacity to marshal the resources to get the job done.

As the children got older, Linda became more involved in Ken`s practice. Back in the 80`s at the clinic, Ken did a bit of everything and Linda kept things organized and efficient.  There was no dentist in the area at the time so it was not uncommon to see Ken pulling teeth.  Eventually the Murrays led the drive to have a community dental clinic.  There was even an on-site pharmacy.

Over the years, Ken had many opportunities to go elsewhere to work or to further his education and acquire a specialty. This corner of Cape Breton had grown on them and they saw no need to go further afield.

When asked what has kept them in a somewhat remote location for so long, they both mentioned the allure of winter. Now most folks above the 49^th parallel will do almost anything to avoid the snow and cold.  Ken and Linda are outdoors people and the region serves up between 10- 20 feet of snow each winter.  You can see why they love the place.

Besides providing the climate for some of the best cross country skiing imaginable, the weather has made for some challenging situations for Ken, who did home visits for many years. Late one stormy night, he received a call to go to the home of an elderly person who was acutely ill.  He didn’t even make it out of his own driveway before getting stuck in a huge drift.  He extricated himself from the car through the driver’s side window and woke a neighbor to borrow his vehicle, after going back to the house for a pair of X-country skis.  He encountered another massive drift a fair distance from the patient’s home.  He strapped on the skis and made his way to her house, in the pitch dark.  Such is the life of a country doctor.

Ken and Linda’s hospitality is legendary, highlighted by their annual Canada day “fish fry” when 100 or more friends show up for a feed of barbequed seafood served with large doses of friendship. They are a wonderful team, having provided a nurturing environment for their children and unstinting time, talent and resources to the betterment of their community.

There are a lot of hidden gems in the Highlands of Cape Breton, including pristine beaches, skiing and hiking trails and world class golf courses. None shine more brightly than Ken and Linda Murray.

And even though they look forward to a river cruise on the Danube at Christmastime, you can be sure that they’ll be counting the days and hours until they get back home to the Old Road Loop.

“The whitecaps on the sea of blue Sparkled like diamonds in the night …”

Gillis Mountain – The Rankins