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Alberta visitor didn’t feel too welcome in Parksville Qualicum Beach area

While pumping gas at the (PQB) Shell station, I said “hello” to the man behind me doing the same thing.
18258515_web1_PQN-Letters

While pumping gas at the (PQB) Shell station, I said “hello” to the man behind me doing the same thing.

He replied, “you haven’t gone home yet!”

I replied “this is home” to which he replied, “oh, one of those”.

After a much-needed thinking pause by me, I replied that I was born and raised on the Island and now visiting from the beautiful Bow Valley of Alberta. I went on to tell him we are all Canadians and we should be more respectful of each other.

It would have been nicer to hear, “how’s your visit going?”, or “I hope you’re having a great vacation in our beautiful province, thanks for coming.”

This wouldn’t normally disturb me as much as it did. But the day before as I pulled up close to the ‘no parking’ area of the front doors of Eat Fresh (as there wasn’t any parking available) and I had to back out. I was asked if I was from Alberta. I smiled from my open window as I was waiting for her vehicle she was in to move and I replied “yes” with a smile, she rolled her eyes and laughing said, “thought so” and drove off.

These middle-age school girls didn’t know my situation but didn’t hesitate to laugh at me and make me feel unwelcome due to my tourist licence plate. I won’t go on too much more but would like to mention about cars passing me much too close while I enjoyed biking in Errington, Qualicum and Parksville but they wouldn’t have known I now reside in Alberta would have they?

Susan Holm

Canmore, Alta.