GUELPH - THE ROYAL CITY

1956 to 1958: GUELPH - THE ROYAL CITY

The move to Guelph – to bring us a little closer to “home” and family, led to many new and exciting adventures for the new couple, not least of which was that Marion discovered that she pregnant once again. It must have been the result of joy upon the arrival of the first one!

Without too much difficulty, they found pleasant accommodation on the lower floor of a house on Paisley Street, one block from Guelph Collegiate where Doug was to teach English, history and Geography for the next three years. For several years, Doug earned extra money by marking Department of Education correspondence papers. It was not a large house and they enjoyed the company of their neighbours above, Marilyn and Doug Robinson and their young daughter, Marnie. The house had two bedrooms and the wall paper was distinctive covered with flowing peonies. As well, a 10-minute walk took them downtown.

However, the Gellatly family was restless and so they bought their first car – a well used Austin Hillman. They can’t recall the year that the car was manufactured but it provided transportation to and from Kitchener and Toronto. The Hillman was distinctive. The colour was "worn" blue The turn signals consisted of lighted flaps with an orange light inside that popped out of the side panels. The drive to the Toronto Symphony in winter was a terrifying experience as the heater seldom worked and the windshield wipers didn’t work at all! You can picture Doug driving from Toronto with his side window lowered, his hand out of the window with a scraper and holding a piercing view of the roadway through frost covered windshield. One wonders if this had to do with the new babe’s disposition in Guelph.

In fact, there is some consideration to the fact that Karen didn’t like Guelph at all!

First of all, she was born on a cold night at Guelph General Hospital on the other side of town on Thursday, January 12, 1956. Had she been born five minutes later, she would have been born on Friday January 13^th! Marion reports that as the nurse carried Karen to the nursery, she was heard to comment, “Ah, this is a feisty one!” Meanwhile, David slept soundly at home.

It turned out Karen was not excited by Paisley Street  judging by the frequency with which  she awoke in the night with fitful crying. In fact, even her father and David discovered that she could be comforted eventually huddled in warm embraces but the moment she was placed in the cradle, the fun started all over again. Fortunately, eventually she turned into the charming woman  she is today.

The calendar is a little confusing here as to when Marion and Doug made their first house purchase in Waterloo in 1956 while Doug commuted back and forth to Guelph with Ross  Harding. At one point, the principal offered Doug a minor headship in the new high school being built but on one condition - they must live in Guelph. Alas, that didn't figure in their plans.

Assisted with the help of Marion’s parents, Marion and Doug purchased a red brick split level house on Leaside Crescent for $13,500. It was here that they first met Pat and John Best among others. Doug played the organ at Christ Anglican Church in Kitchener and later at St. Columba’s Church in Waterloo.

However, the surest sign that they were a “growing” family was the news that Marion was pregnant again. Jane was born at the Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital on January 6, 1957. The young mother could now exclaim that she had three children under the age of three.

GUELPH, THE ROYAL CITY!

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