Written by Allan Sandner
I was born October 13th, 1956 in Grand Forks, BC.
My family owned Sandners Brothers Lumber Company and I worked in the mill for ten years, starting when I was 16 years old.
I worked in the pond putting the logs on the green chain which brought them up to the mill to be sorted and cut into lumber.
After they were brought in they would have to be put into different piles according to size.
They were then fed into a planer to be cut into planks. I helped put them into the planer but I wasn’t by myself.
It took two people to put them in. I also helped doing clean up downstairs where the saws were and loading box cars to send the finished lumber away.
I liked working there but I was injured and had to stop. After some time I started working at A&W, cleaning tables, washing dishes and taking out the garbage.
I worked there for three years. At that time I had my own place and I met my future wife through a neighbor.
I got married to Margaret in the Catholic Church and we had a reception of about 150 people in City Park.
She has since passed on and now I live in my own unit in a seven-plex built by Habitat for Humanity.
It is the first of its kind in Canada and I enjoy living near my friends.
Two years ago I went to Kelowna and participated in a Self-Advocates conference where I gave introductions along with my friend Chris.
I enjoy public speaking and I like to party.
There was dancing after the conference and I am looking forward to going to more of them in the future.
