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~ Bill
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~ Hedley Stevenson
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Transportation
In 1928, Hedley Vickers Stevenson moved
to Enderby from Kisbey, Saskatchewan. Some years before he had been blinded in a hunting
accident. He and a friend went out shooting prairie chickens. Hedley went one way through
some bushes and his friend went a different direction. As Hedley came out of the bushes,
his buddy shot at a bird as it rose from the ground. The charge of the shot lodged in
Hedley's eyes. Ever since that day, he has been absolutely blind.
He was an insurance agent in Kisbey and carried on his career in Enderby. He was known for
his fantastic memory for all the rates of insurance in his head. He could also do
mathematics with unbelievable speed and accuracy in his head. Of course, having a good
memory is essential in memorizing the streets; especially when you are blind. Often, he
would give directions to strangers who were unfamiliar with the town.
Hedley's character had another side, other than the serious, mathematical wizard he was.
After eating a huge meal (which he did regularly), he would suffer indigestion. He would
then swallow a spoonful of baking soda followed by a glass of water. The resulting
explosion could be heard several houses away.
Hedley was a great asset to Enderby. Not only for his insurance expertise, but he had a
lovely singing voice which he showed off at the Opera
House (now Saena Electronics). He would almost always sing a solo.
Hedley's blindness never stopped him from being mobile. He walked all over town. The only
time he had trouble was when the first big snowfall came; in the thirties. Back then, the
falls were usually one and a half to two feet deep. Because Hedley was an early riser,
winter time was his disadvantage. He would walk outside before the roads and walks were
ploughed. He would lose his bearings from the uneven ground. When George Green, a close
friend of Hedley's, was working in Murray's Meat Market (now Sloan's Shop Easy) in the
early forties, he found Hedley over the CPR crossing, swinging his shite cane and mumbling
to himself. "Drat" was the extent of the profanity he expressed at that time.
George then went over and led him back to the store.
Hedley was in his room on the second storey on the night the King Edward Hotel burned down. This was February
16, 1947. He was awakened by the house alarm at about 7:30 p.m. that evening. He dressed
himself in a suit, shoes, and overcoat and made his way into the hallway, where he was met
by a terrific blast of heat. He was driven back into his room. The swinging ladder fire
escape led him to safety. Despite his burned hands, he descended safely into the waiting
arms of his friends. The extent of his burns were to his hands and face. His overcoat was
also badly burned. He was taken to Enderby Hospital where his condition was painful but
not critical.
Hedley never got over that night and died not long after. His funeral was
held at the United Church. It was one of the largest ever. He had been a faithful member
of the church since he arrived in Enderby.
He was always cheerful and never, ever complained of his blindness. He turned misfortune
into the joy of living. He raised a family of charming boys and girls. "Hedley
Stevenson is to be complimented on his cheerful outlook on life and the general goodwill
he spreads through his adopted 'home town'".
Chris Fincaryk, Heidi Chayba, and Tracy Merfert
ALF School 1989