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Today’s mailbox: Remembrance Day, highway work

Letters to the editor published Nov. 13
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Thanks for improving the Alaska Highway

A huge improvement to our Alaska Highway has come to pass through a single contract season. Engineering has provided improved through-traffic flow, reduced the overwhelming surge to the Alaska Highway at rush hours. The work has also created comfortable access to local highway businesses, bike and walking separation from the highway, and another set of traffic lights reasonably distanced from Hamilton Boulevard.

The lighting is superb and much appreciated. Congratulations and thanks to everyone involved including the courteous and professional construction crews. It’s not an easy job and was very well done. I’m a grateful traveller and proud Yukoner.

Sue Greetham

Whitehorse

A meaningful thank you to go with my fries

My daughter and I had just zipped into McDonalds as I had a free coupon for some fries that I wanted to get for her as a treat.

As we were exiting the door to the parking lot, something profound happened. A gentleman with a nice large white beard and glasses was walking in with a lady (they appeared to be a couple).

As I was holding the inner door open (which is polite to do for older folks as I was taught) she looked at me and my ball cap in passing. She stopped purposely to shake my hand and looked into my eyes and said, “thank you” — two words.

I was at a loss of words myself and tried to quickly mumble out thank you back to her. She was clearly moved to the verge of tears, like I was inside.

You see, my ball cap has a Royal Canadian Legion crest on it and under that crest the word “Veteran.” I am an army veteran who served in Kosovo.

As we got into my vehicle my daughter asked if I was OK. I said to her yes. I told her that very nice lady thanked me, and it truly moved me. She smiled and seemed pleased as well.

Our brief encounter, only mere seconds really, at the threshold of a business door was truly something for me. So much so, I decided to turn around and drive back to McDonalds and thank her properly.

As I entered the restaurant, she and the fellow she was with were sitting near the faux fireplace. He was reading a newspaper. I walked over and shook her hand and thanked her. She hugged me and kissed my cheek. I said her thanks really impacted me. I then walked out the exit back to my car.

I felt compelled to write this as a veteran, acknowledging that people, even strangers, really do care strongly about our Canadian Forces personnel and its veterans. This year, following Remembrance Day, I won’t forget what you have done for my soul by two simple words. I cannot thank you enough ma’am. Thank you for thinking of me.

Terry Grabowski

Whitehorse