The Whitelaw clan has finally met for the first time in person

By Lethbridge Herald on July 26, 2024.

LEAVE IT TO BEEBER
Al Beeber – managing editor

When cousin Lorraine Whitelaw Speers and husband Roy wake up at their campground in Taber this morning, ready to rock it up for the second night of Cornstock, they might want to get their hands on a copy of today’s Herald.

And this column is why. Years after introducing me online to other cousins from the Vancouver area, Lorraine is visiting Alberta and on Wednesday our families had a chance to meet for the first time in person. And our dogs, too. Ben dog quickly became enamoured with Peruvian rescue dog Sophie who made herself right at home on the lawn furniture and the couch as old Ben nudged and sniffed her and followed her everywhere.  And he took a huge shine to Roy, as well, although thankfully he kept his nose where it belongs.

I’m sure the neighbours must have been wondering what was going on in the Beeber backyard as we finally had a chance to share our jokes.

To meet in person at last people from the Whitelaw side of my family is an experience I’ll always treasure and never forget. 

Lorraine and Roy camped out here on Wednesday at the KOA (which is absolutely beautiful) in their motorhome – I couldn’t convince them to park in front of the house and enjoy the indoor plumbing and air conditioning – and we caught up on six decades of family talk.

We now know how our voices sound and how we look in real life – not that any filters could improve this face – and we’ve developed a bond that will endure for the rest of our lives.

And tomorrow with the third day of Cornstock in full force, I’m looking forward to a rare trip out Taber way to spend a few more hours catching up and connecting.

With vacation season here in full swing and two newsroom staff members leaving at the end of the month, life is hectic for me and will be even more so for my remaining newsroom team.

But when a chance to spend quality time with family arises, none of us can pass up that opportunity because it could always be our last. We don’t know when we’re going to check out and I don’t care how tired I may be, how high the blood pressure may be rising, I’m not going squander an opportunity to be with people who matter. 

And family is what matters in this life most of all. 

Jobs are important to pay the bills but family is what gives us strength, love and meaning and with our crew, a lot of laughter.

Anybody who has grown up without strong family connections especially knows that. From personal experience, I know we feel like outliers, we may not envy those with solid family ties but we certainly may not understand how they’re possible either.

Lorraine and Roy over the decades have created the kind of family that I’m sure our ancestors would be proud of. And I know our recently departed Mistress of Mayhem, cousin Mary, would have been with us in the backyard Wednesday leading the cacaphony of laughs that continued way past my bedtime.

We probably all woke up groggy yesterday, struggling to find energy despite caffeine but the tiredness was well worth the memories made for all of us – and our puppies.

See you tomorrow!

GOOD LUCK AND GOODBYE: With the end of the month coming on Wednesday, we at The Herald must bid farewell to long-time reporter Delon Shurtz and our recent hire Justin Sibbet.

Delon has spent 35 years with us here, coming two years after I began my career at the Herald. Over the decades, he’s done a wide range of stories but perhaps will mostly remembered for his indepth and superb coverage of court matters.

Since I became managing editor, Delon has admirably filled in for me on the occasional day I’ve been away – a task he did regularly years ago when he would handle the city editor’s role while that person vacationed.

Anything I’ve asked of Delon, he’s willing and enthusiastically taken on the assignment, for which I will always be grateful.

But approaching 65, he’s decided he wants to go into semi-retirement and will be leaving to do other work on a part-time basis. He’d actually informed me before I made my own decision to leave that this would be his last year at the paper. I was hoping to convince him to stay until my final day but my charm wasn’t enough to make a strong enough case for that.

With Delon leaving, I’m not sure how – or if – we’ll be able to cover court except for major trials moving forward. I don’t have the resources right now to devote someone to check the docket daily and follow outstanding cases or new ones that come up.

It’s a matter our management team will be working on.

We’re also losing Justin Sibbet, whose work since joining us in spring, has been absolutely outstanding. Justin worked for us on a freelance basis last summer and is a major talent, capable of covering any assignment on any topic handed to him.

He has chosen to pursue a career down the street with Global and I know he will excel there. He’s got amazing writing talents and is going to be a formidable journalist with a long career ahead of him.

Thank you both for your service.

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