Retiree Stories

Clair & Helena Hamilton
Newcomers 1954, Vancouver, British Columbia

Clair Hamilton has "deep roots" in Campbell River. He can walk down the street and see the effects of the effort he's made over the years to make this a better place to live. Having come here first in 1954 when it was just a "3,500 person village," he has seen the town "boom." After retiring from managing the Local Pharmasave for over forty years, Clair is a world traveler, going often to Thailand and Australia with his wife, Helena. The Hamiltons could have retired anywhere in the world but have decided to stay here.

The Hamiltons are great travelers and are doing all they can while they can, but they are always glad to come back. "There's no place like home." When you walk into the Hamiltons house in a quiet cul-de-sac in the center of Campbell River, the first thing you see is a large, professionally taken photograph of a family sitting around a beach fire at sunset. It looks as though the photo was taken from a magazine or a brochure, but the family is of course Clair, his wife, their children and their grandchildren. They are sitting at Oyster River Park but it could be any one of a hundred such places in the Campbell River area. The second thing you see is the ocean through a huge living room window. Unobstructed by trees it is a stellar, ever-changing view. This was one of the reasons that the Hamiltons decided to stay, "once you've had this, it's hard to leave it." Being near the ocean provides constant beauty and always a peaceful place to escape to.

Not a hard community to get to know people in. He likes the friendliness of it. And it doesn't have the "panicked" feel of most larger cities. Active in the downtown revitalization project, Mr. Hamilton has been instrumental in making Campbell River the place that it is. He's an example of someone who changes what he doesn't like and Campbell River is lucky to have him. His work helped make the downtown area the pleasing place that it is. His work changed the face of downtown and started the still active business improvement association. Recently he got the people in his neighborhood to sign a petition to improve their street and the city complied. The community is not just friendly but very responsive to individual and group efforts towards improvement.

Mr. Hamilton knows that Campbell River is more than able to accommodate his future needs and those of most seniors. He feels very confident in the support groups offered. "I used to joke that there were perhaps more support groups than there were people!" He goes on at length about the opportunities for fun and education that are available to seniors, from Happy Wanderers, to senior specific courses offered by the North Island College.

The Hamiltons have seen what the rest of the world has to offer and this hasn't changed their decision to stay in Campbell River. Because it is a friendly community, a beautiful place, and it offers anything a retiree might need. They can't think of a reason to leave it.