Ivan Blais is an active senior, artisan and retired machinist enjoying life in the Alberni Valley.
“I was born in Port Alberni in 1947 and have lived most of my life here, except for two years that I lived in Chemainus and another four years in Vancouver,” says Blais.
His family, of French-Canadian origin, moved to Port Alberni in 1941. His parents were from Debden, a small community in central Saskatchewan. Blais's father came to work in one of local lumber mills as well as doing construction work for the former pulp mill while his mother mom was busy taking care of the house and the family.
Blais, who was one of the four children in the family—two boys and two girls—did his schooling in Port Alberni, Duncan and Vancouver, where he graduated high school. “Then, I attended a vocational school in Vancouver to become a machinist...I spent one year in the vocational school and four years doing my apprenticeship.”
Soon after, he landed his first job at Wagner Engineering.
It was in 1969 when Blais was back in Port Alberni, this time as a worker for Alberni Engineering, now called Canadian Maritime Engineering. He held that job for two years, followed by another job at Argyle Machine Works, where Port Boat House is now located. He stayed at that job for another two years. “I was trying to get work learning experiences and opportunities in various employment areas of my trade,” he explains.
As a trained, qualified professional who operated machine tools, Blais then joined the machinist crew of the local paper mill, a position he held until his retirement in 2012, (earlier than expected due to medical issues).
Ivan has been married to Renee for more than 50 years; they are the parents of two children and three grandchildren. They first met at a Sunday church mass. Renee is the oldest of five girls whose parents, like Ivan’s, also came to Port Alberni from Debden in 1941. “My father-in-law, Harvey Dion, is now 104 years old," says Blais.
In 1969, Renee came back to Port Alberni after finishing her practicum as a lab technician at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. “As soon as she applied for a job at the West Coast General Hospital, she was hired right away,” Blais adds.
He continues his favourite pastime, wood turning, for which he uses salvaged wood. This craft consists of using a wood lathe with hand-held tools to cut a shape that is around an axis of rotation. He has practiced this hobby for more than 50 years.
“Although I have occasionally sold some of my craft items, most of them have been donated to friends and family, as well as to charity, such as the Black Tie Silent Auction that it is organized annually by the Ty Watson House (Alberni Valley Hospice Society).
"Also, in the past I used to make furniture for my family. That was another hobby for me, one that I developed over the years.”
Nowadays, both Ivan and Renee are retired and enjoy social activities and exercises by playing floor curling at Glenwood Centre and taking long daily walks.
Orlando Delano writes Valley Seniors monthly for the Alberni Valley News.
