I did it My Way

                                                                      

The time is 1949 WWII that ended the depression of the ‘30’s has over for four yrs., the economy is picking up, technology is increasing with it’s prices getting cheaper so more can afford more. The location, a family dairy farm a couple miles NNW of East Farnham,  nestled in the valley between 2 branches of the Yamaska River at the NW corner of Brome County in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. 45o 15’ 41.30” N  72o 47’ 45.38” W elevation 119m

Winter

A waning moon throws a pale light on the snow-covered landscape illuminating a country road passing through the pastoral countryside dotted with 100 acre dairy farms. A 5 ton Chevy truck wends its way along in the predawn moonlight road dropping off empty eight gallon milk cans, with a clatter, here and there a precursor to the start of a new day on the farm.

The ringing sound of the cans kissing each other before being deposited with a crunch in the frosty snow-covered driveway awakes 3 1/2 yr old Davey who, toasty warm  in his flannelette pj’s  snuggled deep under the covers, spying frost-covered window panes glistening in the moonlight knows this will be another adventure filled day.

Being located where the milk trucks route where the cans are dropped off just before 5am makes that a good alarm clock for the start of the day on the Hawke farm. ( unbeknownst to young Davey now in years to come it will also serve as a curfew from a night of carousing, get home before the milk truck so parents don’t know when you got in, or so you think) Davey now has a half hour or so to make plans for the day as with the temperature in the minus degrees Fahrenheit on a typical January day, it takes a while for his father to get up and get a fire lit in the cook stove in the kitchen and the coal fired Quebec heater in the front room to take the chill off the house. His grandfather must do the same with the furnace in his adjoining house as the shared bathroom is on his side, accessed by a connecting door.

A typical winters day would start by ‘helping’ with the chores, this entailed getting bundled up in snowsuit, winter boots, mittens, scarf and toque, taking a couple quick toboggan slides down the barn bridge hill with the dog on the way to the stable. Once in the stable where the heat from the animals kept it warm the mittens and scarf could be ditched. The cows would be chomping on chopped turnips covered with dairy ration while father was milking with grandfather stripping them, father said this was unnecessary with the new McCormick-Deering milkers but it kept him happy so no harm done. The dog and so barn cats got warm milk, the cats weren’t overfed as it was their job to keep the barn rodent free and the dog also got table scraps, there was usually a calf or two to be pail fed and I was getting big enough to help with this. In between my ‘chores’ there was time to play in the  haymow. When milking was done loose hay from the mow was forked into the mangers for cows to munch on during the day then father was washing up the milkers I would help grandfather feed the chickens   and horses.

Chores done with an appetite worked up it was breakfast time, a big glass of milk, usually porridge with a bit of Jersey milk topped with maple sugar, eggs boiled or poached, bacon and I seem to remember prunes often being served followed by a teaspoon of hated cod liver oil. Father always had a dish of maple syrup as desert.

Next father went back to the barn to clean the gutters, bring in fresh sawdust and straw for bedding, brush the cows and generally keep the place tidy as the milk inspector could show up at anytime. I would observe and supervise a bit but was too small to be of much help so spent a while with the toboggan on the barn bridge hill and playing with my fleet of trucks and tractors in the snow. Had to make sure I was out of the way before the milk truck returned to pick up the full cans. I would then return to the house to see what mother and grandmother were doing, thus I honed my domestic skills to balance the outside ones.

Mid-morning every second day the bread man comes, some times mother can be talked into buying a box of jelly donuts.

As winter is a slow time of year nothing too exciting goes on in the kitchen just mundane cooking for a meat and potato diet with preserved veggies, the exception being if there was a church supper in the offing, then there would be preparations for baked beans, chicken pie with dumplings or the inevitable scalloped potato casserole to be served with baked ham. A special treat would be the odd Saturday morning spent at grandmother Mahannah’s preparing the dough for donuts, rolling it out on the flour covered cutting board, using the cutter to size them and make the hole then frying them in the big cast iron pot on the wood stove, there’s nothing like a warm freshly made donut on a cold winters day.

Now with preparations for dinner (the main meal of the day) underway it’s time for some indoor play, there’s my truck and tractor fleet, my farm animal collection, miniature tea set I can choose from to use my imagination to create unlimited scenarios or there is always a colouring book to practice my keeping within the line skills, blocks to build forts with and best of all picture books where you are transported to a different world. There is never a lack of ways to pass the time.

Dinner time, a roast or other cut of beef or on occasion pork or chicken, potatoes and veggies from the root cellar, preserves with a pie or pudding for desert. Coffee for father, tea for mother and all the Jersey milk I can drink for me, maybe add a bit of ‘Quick’ to it if I’ve been good. Accompanying dinner would be the noon CBC Farm Broadcast , this 15 minute show included the current days cattle and farm produce prices, the weather plus ongoing saga of the The Craigs comedy sketch.

After dinner in nap time for all. The afternoon could be spent in many ways, possibly a trip to town as there’s always groceries to be bought, bills to pay, friends to visit. On a lucky day there might be a trip to the garage to get something repaired. We didn’t normally travel far in those days, the general store in Adamsville for groceries, vehicle repairs also in Adamsville, Post office in East Farnham, Church in Brigham, bank and other shopping in Cowansville plus a couple trips a year to Montreal for things not available locally. (little did I know then but for the next 7 decade’s I would choose my long term residences in or in the vicinity of a small village with necessities available that was within 15 minutes of a town where most purchases could be made and under an hour from a major city) Most afternoons though were spent ‘helping’ father with outside chores, mother with her inside ones plus time in my own imaginary world.

5pm was afternoon milking time where morning chores were repeated. 

Supper was a light meal at days end usually dinner left overs with possibly soup or a sandwich.

The evening would be spent listening to the radio, playing records, family board games and discussing the days events, planning future activities. I would be hustled off to bed by eight. Some nights we hosted a Farm Radio Forum or medical coop meeting and I was allowed to meet the people, in my pj’s before going upstairs to bed then I overheard their talk until the sandman whisked me off to dreamland.

This was a typical winters day 6 days a week, Sundays barn chores were kept to the essentials after which we would jump in the ‘48 Chevrolet for the hop to the United church in Brigham followed by a visit to my grandparents farm near Farnham Center. There were also interludes with days suffering the normal childhood diseases of chickenpox, measles etc when I was confined to the house.

        Sugaring Season

In the Eastern Townships there was a period of time between the dreary n dark days of February ‘til the peeping through the snow of the first Mayflowers, it runs roughly from just prior to the Ides of March to Easter (an early Easter almost always signifies a short season) or as Peter McCarthur so eloquently penned in  his poem ‘Sugar Weather’ “When the snow balls on the horses’ hoofs, And the wind from the south blows warm, — It’s off to the sugar bush I go, For the sap will run I know.

The advent of geese in the sky accompanied with steadily warming daytime temperatures means it’s (*scroll down to the poem) Sugar Weather time to head to the sugar bush, which in a good will bring in enough to pay the taxes on the farm.

The horses jittery from a long winter in their stalls are brought out, hitched to a set of double sleds commence the tiring task of breaking roads through the bush so we can get to the trees for tapping then later gathering the sap. With some creaking the doors to the sugar house are opened to reveal the stacks of buckets, the forlorn arches unused for the better part of the year. the evaporator resting against a rafter along with the other various sundries used in making of the renowned sweet syrupy substance, Quebec Maple Syrup!

Buckets loaded on the sled grandfather would follow the newly broken roads dropping buckets at every mature tree, one to four depending on the size. Father and I would follow to tap the trees (eleven hundred taps in all) with a pail full of spouts, hammer, brace and bit stopping at each maple father would bore a hole on a slight upward angle a bit longer than the spout would penetrate I would hand him the cast-iron spout which he would tap firmly in with the hammer. Due to the shortness of my legs combined with the depth of the snow and the cumbersome snowsuit I would be plum tuckered out by the time grandfather’s sleds were empty so I would hitch ride back to the house where mother would have a cup of steaming hot chocolate waiting.

As this road making and tapping had to be fitted in between milking, other barn chores, cleaning and preparing the sugar house, the better part of a week would be spent on the preparations. First the 10 ft evaporator pan (the pic is of a small unit with the evaporator pan and finishing pan combined) have to be washed and set on the arch, a job requiring at least three people this is followed by the 4 ft square finishing pan which must be plumbed to it then the sap holding tank cleaned and plumbed into the evaporator. A couple 5 gal. cream cans to hold the syrup from the finishing pan were cleaned, a couple leaky old sap buckets had the bottoms cut out made excellent funnels for the hot syrup coming off the finishing pan into the cream cans, felt strainers inserted in these buckets were held in place with clothes pins to filter the nitre out of the finished syrup. All that remained was to string a very long extension cord from the garage to the sugar house for lights and the radio which at noon would be tuned to the CBC for the noon Farm Report followed by the latest adventures of ‘The Craigs’, otherwise it was tuned to

As the weather warms the trees sap starts dripping into the buckets the team is hooked to the sleds each tree is visited to empty the contents of it’s buckets into a 5 gallon pail to fill the 120 gallon gathering tank in the sled. Once full a trip to the sugar house, where a hill has been made so the gathering tank’s outlet hose will be higher than the sides of the holding tank. On arrival an access door is removed, an end of portable trough going to the storage tank is placed on the wagon, the discharge hose gathering tank lowered into the trough and the season’s first load of sap starts gushing into the tank.

Once storage tank has adequate sap father would lay a fire in the arch that held 4ft lengths of wood,the sap would enter the evaporator pan from the storage tank wending it’s way back and forth through the pan’s channels as it increasingly hotter with each pass as it starts to steam impurities will surface in a foam which are removed with a skimmer (a dipper with screened holes) should the foam start to overflow the pan, a small bottle of milk with holes in the lid is kept handy as a few drops of milk will calm the foaming and make it magically disappear. During this process 39 gallons of water will be evaporated out the vents for every gallon of syrup produced. A valve is opened allowing the thickening liquid to leave the evaporating pan and enter the front finishing pan where the science that says maple sap becomes maple syrup at 219 degrees Fahrenheit  becomes an art with the cook determines exact texture, colour and taste by his experienced eye. As the thermometer gradually climbs to the 219oF mark experience tells when to add lighter wood to the front of the arches fire to make it hotter, a dipper is then used to check the consistency of the syrup as it flows off, when the flow is just right the drain spout is lowered, the fire dampened, the dipper in constant use until the syrup thins ant the spout raised.

On a day when the sap isn’t running due to cooler temperatures or in the evening of a slow run day we can the syrup for storage and shipping, quart tins purchased from Cowansville Hardware are laid out in a row on the bench, father pours the syrup from the milk cans into a gallon pitcher fills each can to the brim then I place a lid on the can, father places each can in the canning machine slowly turning the crank which rotates the can while applying increasing pressure to the lever that folds the lip of the lid over the can then pushing the lever the other way to complete the seal in another couple rotations. Later the cans to be sold will have printed labels saying Pure Maple Syrup S. T. Hawke East Farnham Que. wrapped around the can with a mucilage glue holding them in place.

With the coming of Easter signifying the end of the season brings the best part of the season, relatives from far and near congregate at the farm for Easter dinner followed by a visit to the bush, where a wagon with a 6 inch covering of snow awaits, for the tasty treat sugar on snow made from late season syrup.This is made taking the darker third grade syrup, poured into a 4x3ft pan placed on a smaller arch heating it up to 230oF the gallon pitcher filled then poured onto the snow on the wagon where all gather round to pig out on the once a year treat.

The remaining syrup in the pan is heated further to 2420F allowed to cool down to 155oF then constantly stirred to the consistency of sugar, scooped into quart cans, sealed and labeled Soft Sugar. If desired a further heating to 245oF will produce Hard Sugar which is formed into bricks or put into moulds to make  Maple Sugar Candies.

Anyone wanting to tap the maple in the back yard can find a wealth of information here

Following Easter the last runs and boiling over the wrap-up of the season begins on bare ground now we traipse through the bush pulling spouts  from the budding maples as the birds chirp overhead. Stacking buckets by the roads through the woods dotted by pockets of pinkish-white Mayflowers as the crows caw in the distance. The woods are alive now, not only overhead with new life in the trees but also on the ground a if i am quiet and listen closely I can hear a mouse scurrying through the dead leaves in search of dinner. Coming close to a copse of evergreens a partridge drums it’s wings. We will return tomorrow with the team and wagon which replaced the sleds as the snow disappeared from the bush roads.

With the #1 & #2 grade syrup plus the soft sugar canned, labelled and moved to a storage shed at the house, the year end dark syrup in a 45 gallon drum for shipment to le Fédération des producteurs acéricolesde Québec  to be sold for commercial use, only clean up remains, a small fire is made in the arch, a couple gallons of remaining warm sap in the evaporator pan is used to top up the wooden barrel of maple vinegar. Both pans are then thoroughly washed with hot water, drained, the plumbing disconnected and stored. A gathering tank load of water  run into the storage tank so it can be scrubber clean of any sticky sap residue before also being drained.

With the evaporator pan manhandled back into it’s resting place against the rafter, finishing pan nestled by it’s side by it’s side, the ash removed from the arch, a fair days work has been done.

The next warm sunny day the bucket washing takes place. A final gathering tank of water is brought down, a fire made in the small sugaring off arch heating the pan full of water which is then paled to the bucket washer outside where the stacks of 1,100+ buckets await in the now empty wood shed. Father dons his mid-arm length rubber gloves (the water is hot) takes a bucket from the pile washes it, holds it up to the sun checking for then hands it off to be placed on the grass to be dried by the sun, buckets needing repair are placed in a separate location, this is a job I can help with. Buckets, spouts, dippers all washed we call it a day.

Lastly we return to the sugar house to pick up the clean buckets, stack them in their place inside, other utensils put in their place, bucket washer and gathering tank in their place also inside the sugar house. With the buckets in need of repair are loaded on the wagon, along with the radio, the extension cord rolled up, Sugar Season is over for another year.

The leaks buckets will be soldered on a rainy day as now there is Springs work to be done!

For this incarnation I chose a farm family, the descendants of farmers and small businessmen who were good loyal upstanding citizens that participated in community affairs but weren’t afraid to pull up stakes to start over again in the unknown rather than endure persecution at home.

The first of the family to venture to the New World was George Hauck*, born January 1751, a refugee from the wars in the Palatinate region of the Germanic states. Although I can find no definite family history prior to settlement in Pennsylvania, it would appear that likely he came to the New England colonies via England with assistance from King George II this would explain his later being forced to abandon the original Hauck farm in what was to become the City of Philadelphia during the American Revolution 1765 – 1783.

Due to the absence of any written diaries we can only assume that due to his monarchist loyalty the 20 something George was forced to abandon the Pennsylvania homestead and headed to Albany, New York where he likely had friends/relatives as he married a Huguenots wife, the preceding link explains the connection between the Huguenots and Palatines making the relationships clearer.

As the records show he married Elizabeth in 1772, his first child, Jane was born in 1776, the second, John in 1778, the third Elanor in1780, the fourth Arabella in Sept 1782 but the fifth George not until May 1785 it seems logical to deduct that he departed Albany sometime the spring of 1782 leaving his wife and children in the care of relatives, arriving in Missisquoi Bay that fall, acquiring land setting up a Homestead, then sending for Elizabeth and the children during the summer of 1784. Two more children were born in Canada, Jacob in 1787  and Elizabeth in 1785?

We now come into some ‘word of mouth’ information compiled by my aunt Hattie, Harriet I Hawke in 1943: “The following account of George Hauck’s coming to Canada was handed down by “Word of Mouth” to my father, Jared Hawk as told to him by his father, George Nelson Hawk who was present at the 80th Birthday Party of George Hauck. The U.E.L. Pioneer when he told the story to his grandchildren.”

THE STORY’

“George Hauck and seven other men left the U.S.A. to come to Canada about the year 1780-83. They traveled on foot leaving their homes owing too loyalty to the crown. The first Hauck farm, traditionally, was said to have been where part of the City of Philadelphia stands.

George Hauck and Elizabeth Devos or Devoo, a Hugenot, were married at Albany, N.Y. and we can only suppose he started from N.Y. State.

One incident of his journey was when they asked shelter  for the night of a Quaker. He took them to his hay mow to sleep. At the break of day he came to the barn and said “Thee mustaway as it will not be pleasant for me if it becomes known thee was here.” and he gave each man bread to carry away. The good wife had not slept but baked to supply food for the travellers.

One man died on the way and they had to use sticks and their hands to dig his shallow grave.

They had no meat and when they came across the carcass of a horse they cut off the steak and roasted it.

When he reached the end of his journey, Missisquoi Bay, he had no shoes on his feet. Thus he reminisced on his 80th Birthday and tears ran down his face as he spoke of those early days.”

That’s the epic travails of my great, great, great, great grandfather George Hauck wending his way from the Palatinate to the wilds of Upper Canada where he established a farm, raised a family and ended his years in a relatively comfortable life in Quebec’s St Armand Township.

Died: March 11, 1834, 83 yrs 3 mos, buried Pigeon Hill Cemetery

Elizabeth Died: March 7, 1838, 89 yrs 8 mos, buried Pigeon Hill Cemetery

* the spelling of the name changed over the years from Hauck – Hawk – Hawke with some using Hauk instead of Hauck

SECOND GENERATION

George Hauck Born May 24, 1785 – May 20,  1867, 82 yrs 11 mos Buried Pigeon Hill Cemetery

Married Hannah Smith Oct 31, 1809 they had 6 children George Nelson 1811, Jos John J. 1812, Charles 1814, Catharine Mahala 1817, Elizebeth Sarah 1820, Margaret Maria 1882

He served as a Private in Capt Jacob Ruiter’s  4th Btl’n Militia of the Townships 2nd Co.

Lived on the West half of Lot 95 St Armand

Hannah Born July 1789, Died March 19, 1877, 87 yrs 8 mos Buried Pigeon Hill Cemetery

THIRD GENERTAION

George Nelson Hawk*

Born April 21, 1811 – March 2, 1904, 92 yrs 10 mos buried Riverside Cemetery, East Farnham

Married Hannah Brimmer, Peetersburg, NY Oct 2, 1832 at Frelisburg, Jared 1834, David Brimmer 1835, George Wm. 1838 (East Farnham), Emily Hannah 1843, Jacob Chauncey 1845

Hannah Born Dec 4, 1808 – Jan 14, 1884 75 yrs 1 mo buried Riverside

Moved to East Farnham fall 1833 and built a log cabin

FOURTH GENERATION

Jacob Chauncey Hawk

Born: Oct 9, 1845 – Jan 23, 1929, 83 yrs 4 mos Buried Riverside

Married: Sarah Vilas Oct 20, 1868, Fannie M (teacher) 1870, Emily Hannah 1872, Gertrude Helen 1878, Percival Vilas 1880

Sarah Born March 14, 1847 – July 16, 1923, 76 yrs 4 mos, Buried Riverside

FIFTH GENERATION

Percival Vilas Hawk

Born: April 19, 1880 – June 13, 1963, 83 yrs 2 mos, after suffering a stroke the last few months he was confined to his bed, Buried Riverside

Married Ellen Taber (married on the farm between the maples) Oct 7, 1903, Chauncey 1905, Gerald P 1906, Stuart T 1910, Eileen 1911, Reginald V. 1916

Ellen Born: Oct 25, 1874 – June 4, 1967, Buried Riverside

He was born on the old Hawke farm East Farnham but took over the Taber farm when he married.

SIXTH GENERATION

Stuart Taber Hawke

Born: Jan 9, 1910 – Nov 18, 1988 at Perth ON, heart attack, Cremated ashes interred Elmwood Cemetery, Perth ON, there is also a family stone at Riverside Cemetery, East Farnham QC

Married Ruth Mahannah Sept 1, 1945, David S, Aug 3, 1946, (still born twins 1948)

Ruth Born April 8, 1920 – Jan 19, 2011, @ Rancho Las Brisas Playa San Diego, El Salvador with Dr. Jorge A. Elias Navas attending, interred Cemetario Hacienda San Diego, marker at Elmwood Cemetery, Perth ON and stone at Riverside Cemetery, East Farnham QC

Although after 6 generations of full time farmers I was to break the tradition, however I still hobby farmed using dad’s tractor, even milked cows and held a cream quota for a time. I also, after a few years of learning the business, kept the tradition of working for myself alive by owning a truck delivery business that morphed into a school bus business as times changed.

This is the story of a farm lad born just after the war, the first wave of the Baby Boomer generation, brought up  in Brome County of  Quebec’s Eastern Townships chronicling 7 decades of his life. His experiences range from those of a mundane life of growing up on a dairy farm in the 50’s and early ‘60’s, of a sometimes rebellious youth who had a mind of his own, to in his late teens/early ‘20’s fulfilling dreams deemed farfetched at the time to feats that accomplished in the latter years that were not even thought of as possible in those days.

The beliefs of this lad switched over time from organized religion to simply being “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” the main reason he shied away from taking his business larger than a few employees.

Travel which has a real impact on his life throughout the entire narrative, takes place in Canada/US in the first half century to include the Bahamas and Cuba during the next decade, followed by a 6 month sojourn through Mexico, Central America then year long RTW upon retirement.

Independence would be the main them of this narrative as it plays a major role as the latter 3 decades of working life were as a small business owner/operator plus the majority of travel was independently sourced rather than organised tours.  Outside the box thinking and the way of doing things was also important as this square peg individual was never made to fit in societies round holes.

One consequence of this lifestyle was that there was always enough money to remain independent, affluence always alluded him which brings us to his accepting the philosophy of Reincarnation  where this individual believes himself to be a ‘mature soul’ which this excerpt describes as: “Soul 4th stage – mature

The mature soul keeps being reminded that all perspectives are valid but not necessarily correct, and that there are perspectives on perspectives on perspectives… So begins the search for a deeper truth that will ultimately lead back to oneness.”

and

 Karma

“A Buddhist who is fully convinced of the law of Karma does not pray to another to be saved but confidently relies on him for his own emancipation. Instead of making any self-surrender, or calling on any supernatural agency, he relies on his own will power, and works incessantly for the well-being and happiness of all. This belief in Karma validates his effort and kindles his enthusiasm, because it teaches individual responsibility.”

 I Did it My Way

Chapter 1

Choices

Prior to entering into the current  the soul has many choices to make as outlined here synopsis follows:

“The soul must consider these three questions to get clear about the kind of life they want to live:

• Am I ready for a new physical life?
• What specific lessons do I want to undertake to advance my learning and development?
• Where should I go, and who shall I be in my next life for the best opportunity to work on my goals?”

These are important to the progression of the soul to the next level, fortunately we aren’t alone during this part of our existence as our spirit guide plus other souls preparing for their transition are around to provide assistance as Edgar Cayce explains here synopsis follows:

“We do choose our parents. Yet it isn’t merely the parents that we select, but the lifestyle, personalities, and experience a particular family offers. This is a selection over which our angels hold particular influence. There may be many sets of parents who are attractive to the incoming entity, and it is only with the angels’ help that the right ones are chosen. Even though we may be completely unhappy with our parents—and at one time or another most of us have felt this way—ours are the correct parents for our soul’s karmic needs.

Angels are able to access the Akashic records and to note an entity’s past deeds, intent and experiences. When it’s the soul’s turn to come into a physical body, a great deal of effort and co-ordination is involved. Should the entity be born to a single mother? Should it be adopted? Should there be two devoted, loving parents?”

As a mature soul entering level 5 the essence of the learning experience for the coming life is co-existence with interdependence, relationships, empathy, intimacy and self awareness being the goals.

Thus after time spent in the ether of the nether world it came to pass that I re-entered life in the hospital at Sweetsburg Que. as the son Stuart and Ruth Hawke.

• Dec 22, 2015 CPP deposited

1. Dec 23 No OAS
2. 1st call* Dec 24, 2015 to Service Canada: informed that OAS suspended as document mailed to El Salvador address (not received) was not returned. Advised to use Canadian address.
3. 2nd call Dec 24, 2015, gave Service Canada my Canadian address.
4. Jan 10, 2016, Fax sent to MP Anjou Dhillon requesting help: No response to date
5. 3rd call Jan 13, 2016, inquiring status of payment: informed that Canadian address was Not allowed  my residence address in El Salvador must be used. Told to write a letter to Service Canada explaining the mail problem including my name, SIN, DOB signed and witnessed by professional, town clerk etc mailed to Service Canada PO box 2013 Stn Main, Timmins ON P4N 8C8
6. Jan 14, 2016, letter sent by certified mail.
7. Jan 28, 2016, 2nd Fax to Anjou Dhillon: No response to date
8. Jan 28, 2016, Fax to assistance@liberal.ca requesting help: response in 5 hrs, contact Service Canada
9. Feb 1, 2016, Fax sent to Justin Trudeau requesting assistance
10. Feb 4, 2016, Form received at Canadian address to be filled out and returned in enclosed addressed envelope by 2016-03-01.
11. 4th call, Feb 5, 2016, inquired about getting form faxed from Canadian address and need to return in sent envelope: informd by Sousiane (typical ss attitude) that faxing the form (Lld Age Security Foreign Beneficiaries Pension Declaration Form) would be fine as it is available on line. He also gave me a months extension to return it as mail could be slow.
12. Feb 8, 2016, mailed completed form, signed and witnessed by school principal via EMS Post (UPS courier) to Timmins address of Service Canada
13. Feb 17, 2016, notified by correros that document had been delivered.
14. 5th call Feb 17inqiring about status of payment: informed by Nancy that funds would be deposited in a couple weeks I requested a call** from a supervisor, she`said would receive a call by end of day on 18th.
15. Feb 18, 2016: No call from Service Canada
16. 6th call, Feb 19, 2016, inquiring about payment status a no call from supervisor: informed deposit would be made March 8, 2016
17. Feb 29, 2016, Fax from Justin Trudeau’s office replying to my Feb 1 fax: inquiry forwarded to Jean-Yves Duclos minister of families, children and social development.
18. March 8, 2016, call from Louise at Service Canada Regional Inquiry office in Timmins: 3 months back pay + March payment  approved for deposit end of March. Requested earlier payment as needed funds.
19. March 9, 2016, Lousia calls saying emergency payment will be deposited within 1-2 weeks.
20. March 15, 2016, 3 months OAS payments deposited in bank account.
21. 7th call, March 30, 2016, inquiry why No OAS deposit made for March: Vanessa #1060 explains Mar 30 payment cancelled when emergency payment of 3 months made, March will be paid with April deposit, requested early payment, she advised call back Friday to check status.
22. 8th call Friday April 1, 2016 to check status of payment: Shelby #2431 (nice lady) checked and found that my March 15, 2016 was actually the 3 back payments + March but 25% tax (= 1 month benefit) had been erronously deducted. She put in an emergency request for payment, will have someone call me Wed Apr 6 with status.
23. 9th call Wed April 6, 2016 no return call by 3:30 pm so called to check status: agent (didn’t get name) on hold over 3 min, found nothing, put in an urgent email for info.
24. 10th call Friday April 8, 13:26 CST, 2016 NO return calls, called again to check status: Nancy #7660, Shelby’s request ignored, other agent’s still no response. I requested a call from supervisor, after being on hold 3 min Nancy came back saying “due to complicated nature” an urgent request had been sent to 3rd level team leader to call me back within a day ie before 4 pm Monday April 11, 2016
25. Monday April 11, 2016: No call received.
26. Tuesday April 12 email sent to The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos requesting further assistance.
27. 11th call Wed April 13, 2016 08:45 EDST: call answered but disconected
28. 12th call Wed April 13, 2016 08:47: Stefanie #1066 explained that notes say my line was busy when call-back was attempted Monday, I received no calls Monday and my phone records all incoming missed call numbers, so that is strange. She also said payment was scheduled with April payment saying that payments could not be made before scheduled date. I requested earlier payment, she put in request saying call-back would be made Monday April 18.
29. Wed April 12, 2016 follow-up email sent to Jean-Yves Duclos with cc of threatening email from Werner this email was cc’d to PM’s office, summary of today’s phone calls and request for letter of explanation for Werner.
30. Friday April 15, 2016 07:02, received call from Mark with the Timmins office of Service Canada responding to my email: 1) he has authorized immediate repayment of the tax withheld in error and will follow up to ensure it is deposited 2) my file is up to date and my regular OAS deposits will resume starting with the April deposit 3) a letter of explanation that delayed payment was entirely the fault of Service Canada personnel will be issued 4) future correspondence from Service Canada will be sent to my Canadian address as he knows there are mail problems in some countries 5) he said that the notes on my file were clear and he was a loss to explain the confusion or why the tax was deducted
31. 13th call Friday April 22, 2016 08:33 EDST, as I understood payment was authourized 1 week ago and hadn’t shown up in my account I called to check status: Jessica checked my file and found that a payment of CAD$570.38 had been authourized on Tuesday April 19, 2016 and should be in my account within 3-5 days
32. 14th call Thurs April 28, 2016, 1 payment deposited called to see which one: Tania from Oshawa call centre checked and found  April OAS deposit was made but the deducted tax was still unpaid.
33. April 28, 2016 Service called, I missed it
34. 15th call Thurs April 28, 2016 called to find out about missed call: Robert could find no notes about the call return.
35. Friday April 29, 2016, no deposit, 3rd email sent to office of Jean-Yves Duclos.
36. 16th call Monday May 2, 2016 3:09pm EDT call from Sue in Timmins regional office of Service Canada. Sue said that although the repayment of tax deducted was authorized on April 19, it wasn’t sent until Saturday (?) April 30, 2016 and I should receive it in 5 days. Sue also said that the letter requested had been sent to my Canadian address on April 19, not received yet, another would be sent to my Canadian address today, May 2, 2016
37. May 4, 2016 received letter dated April 19, 2016 at my Montreal address
38. Saturday May 7, 2016, tax wrongly withheld deposited in my account. Only 16 phone calls by me, 4 emails and 135 days after my 1st call!

*calls averaged 4 minutes @ $1.00/min

**I have received 4 calls from Service Canada’s Timmins office with no problems but 4 requested call backs from the  Scarborough office claim either the line was busy or were unanswered? My phone shows numbers of all missed calls, none show on these days.

Costs 1 letter registered mail   $1.40

        1 letter scanned Canadian address $3.00

        1 fax sent from Canadian address $5.00

        1 fax received El Salvador $5.00

        1 letter sent EMS mail    $29.50

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