Canada Calling

The next morning I asked Anne to purchase the “Times Educational Supplement.” This publication came out each Monday and listed all teaching opportunities throughout Britain as well as articles related to educational practice. I had thought it might be good to get an overall view of developments in education so that I could see the localized picture more clearly. That evening I opened to the first page to read, to my astonishment, “Physics teacher wanted for school in Toronto, Canada.”

This was the first such advertisement for many years found in any British journal since schools in Canada were still not allowed to advertise outside their country; however, the owner of this private school had offices in New York, and as I later found out, no Canadian would work for the low wages being offered!

The article went on to say that the founder, Mr. Giles, would be in London the next week, to interview prospective teachers for this post, and others similarly advertised. This was very convenient for me since the National Association of Schoolmasters - my union - had called for a one-day strike, the first ever, for the following Wednesday. Thus, after a brief interview, I was offered the position to be the Head of Physics Department at Toronto French School, Canada.

The salary would be $11,000 plus the costs of emigration. This was at least $2,000 more than my current salary, the maximum paid in Wales. It wouldn’t be until we arrived in Canada that I would discover how impossible it was to raise three children with that salary in Toronto!

I made no decision at the meeting with Mr. Giles but returned to Wales with the contract to sign. Upon arriving home, I discovered we had visitors, Martin and Sharon Loyley. They were missionary friends we had known in Hong Kong, and were in Wales on furlough, visiting his family in England. They were excited to hear of my interview, and eagerly encouraged us because Sharon was from Toronto and knew the school quite well!

“You must stay with my mother,” she said. “She lives alone and would be delighted to have you all there with her.”

God was already preparing the way before us.

After some discussion and prayer, Anne and I decided to accept the position offered, and the contract was duly signed and returned to Mr. Giles.

The next day I went to see the headmaster with my resignation in hand. On my entering his office, Mr. Price greeted me warmly with the ‘good news’ that the Board of Governors had changed their minds and I was free to attend the university course.

Of course, my news surprised him greatly, but he graciously accepted my reasons. We had three months to get ready; medical reports and visas were obtained, the house was sold, the youth work was ‘handed off,’ and many ‘fare-wells’ were said, however, we were not going alone. A good friend had been interested in my decision and had taken the opportunity to visit Mr. Giles, himself. Keith had been appointed as Head of Mathematics in the same school as I. So, in August 1975 we packed all our belongings in a 24ft long sea freight container, and flew to Toronto, Canada - the land of promise and wide-open spaces.