Canadian Cliff Dwellers of the Last Century. (A Case Study)

On my many forays across this great country I have met many strange and interesting people. I honestly think that one of the strangest are the Canadian tribe of Cliff Dwellers. This tribe congregates in cities and has developed their own distinct culture. They know nothing of lawn mowers and snow shovels. They live in holes cut in big piles of bricks or concrete. Their climate is controlled and, other than work and the occasional foray out for food, they pretty much flock together to avoid the people that live in Wooden Boxes and who are forever trying to stay one jump a head of the Banker and Crab grass.

I begun my study of these Cliff Dwellers in the middle of the last century and wish to share with you some of the peculiar ways in which their culture patch is sewn into the colorful Canadian quilt, before they become extinct. My information is based on actual case studies in which name have not been changed, because no one would believe that this tribe is quietly living in their own cities within our cities. Cliff Dwellers come in all shapes, colors and sizes. They are multinational, of diverse religions but definitely of Primate origin. They may even be the Missing Link! How did this peculiar group move down the evolutionary path?

In the beginning, the Deity made Heaven and Earth. A place called Vancouver was designated as the center of the Earth, as it was close to Heaven. The Deity then took a Cedar block and breathed salt air into it. John was the first man. A piece of driftwood was shaped to be a partner to John and she was called Peg. They were told to go forth and multiply, and so they had three little Chips together; all of which grew into handsome stone trees eventually. Early life was not easy for these first members of the Cliff Dweller Tribe. Vancouver was a small city where you could still see the Lions and to the south the farms on the Fraser Delta. Accommodation was only to be found in Little Boxes. Times changed as others flocked to the Garden of Eden of the west. More and more boxes sprung up like mushrooms on the Delta and even up the side of the mountains to wards the Lions. Prices soon forced society and investors to put up Cliff Dwellings every where.

John, Peg and the three Chips moved into one of these early cliff dwellings. John was stricken with MS and was confined to a wheelchair. Peg held three jobs and all the little Chips chipped in with paper routes and part time jobs. John contributed as much as he could by developing a small internal Laundry Soap Business. He soon got to know almost every one in the Cliff dwelling. Both John and Peg were out going people who had much love and friendship in their make up. John's vision was marginal and his soap business was discontinued, but for customers who would drop by to have tea with him. Peg and John organized a Friday night party for these wives and their husbands. Every one contributed something and shared a wonderful night of fellowship. This get together by these Cliff Dwellers has continued for 42 years. Others have come and gone but the core group is still intact. A couple of church activists entered the group very early. They were and are active to this day. They, Ken and Louise Goode have provided much of this research. Their actual contribution will be submitted to the Archives of the province they now live in.

John eventually succumbed to MS; put is still spiritually with them. Several wives and friends have been taken by that despicable disease, Cancer, but even it could not stop the spiritual gathering of these fine Canadians that came from across Canada and off shore to start their lives as Cliff Dwellers. Families have grown, people have moved, death has taken some, but every one of them, be they living or be they dead, can come back to a Friday night and pick up where they left off. There is no record of Divorce among this rather large group!

What is the Catalyst? My research suggests that all the long term Cliff Dwelling, Friday niters were givers. They gave of their self; they gave care for others. The ones that fell away took too much and gave too little. To give is a blessing to both the giver and the receiver. Small fun gifts, a tear when needed, a smile every chance you get. They are like diamonds and rubies today. Loneliness is a city disease and easily eradicated with simple politeness and consideration for others.

In the little towns and villages of the past there were only Little Boxes to live in, but still there was a closeness and a spirit of belonging. Mega cities of today are huge; they consume the very air we breathe. Little Boxes and the needed infrastructure eat up masses of farmland. They cost millions of dollars in tax money and yet are unsafe and confuse our youth. Churches go empty, Bars and Casinos are full. Homeless litter the streets and our Police wear bulletproof jackets.

It seems that Cliff Dwellers may be the modernization of the small towns and villages of the past. In the hostile environment of the Southwest, natives were the first Cliff Dwellers. Perhaps we should find out why we are not happy in our Little Boxes. Maybe we are taking too much from our land base and are to far removed from each other. Maybe Little Boxes are good for some and Cliff Dwelling is good for others and the "Missing Link" is having friends that care for each other and stick together for the good times and the bad times. There is a proven need for humans to inter act or they become mentally and physically ill. In this busy world today, invite some people over on Friday night. You just might have fun and get to know some fine people for the long term.

This is not the only answer to the dilemmas our cities are facing, but friendship and caring for each other can reduce the impact of the negative parts of city life.

Signed; the Galloping Geezer
Jack C. Downey CD
Send comments to: Jack

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