Myra Thorkelson has spent a lifetime in the classroom. An English-language specialist, she’s taught at every level from primary to university. In 1966, she taught with CUSO in Tanzania; in 1982, she moved her family—including two young sons—to Fiji for two years, where she taught. These days, she volunteers as the president of the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada (ANC), and teaches English as a second language at UPEI. Saltscapes talked to Myra about her immigrant parents, her adventures abroad and her love of teaching.
Q Tell me about your parents.
A My father, Samuel Zechoval, fled Russia in 1919 to escape the pogroms against Jews. My mother is an emigrant from Germany. The landing papers of both my parents are at Pier 21, in Halifax.
Q Where were you born?
A In Moosehorn, Manitoba. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s a tiny place with about 100 people. Because farming didn’t work out for my dad, he eventually bought and ran a small store.... We were only there till I was eight. We grew up in Winnipeg.
Q You got married in Africa.
A I married Jim in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where we were CUSO volunteers for five years. We bought an old truck, made it into a camper and drove it from Africa to France—it took a whole year—where we shipped it to Halifax, and returned to Winnipeg.
Q How did you end up in PEI?
A Jim applied to the old Charlottetown hospital and took over the pharmacy there. We came in 1979.
Q Do you remember your first look at the Island?
A I do. Jim came first and found us a place to live, then I arrived with our two sons. The youngest had an ear infection, so my first view of the Island was carrying a screaming five-year-old at Charlottetown airport. It was so beautiful—green, lush and lovely. It reminded me of Africa.
Q Later, you added a girl to your family.
A In 1985, we adopted our daughter in Fiji. Our two sons picked out their sister. She was two months old. The boys liked Talei—which means “precious” in Fijian—because she had a lot of hair.
Q What’s kept you in PEI?
A We love the Island. We’re just a few minutes from downtown Charlottetown, and yet we’re really living in the country.
Q What do you like about being president of the PEI ANC?
A I’m really interested in helping people settle in Canada. My parents were immigrants. Canada has been good to our family. I want to give back the things the country gave to me.
Q What do you like about teaching?
A I love working with people. I like to see them progress. Even this class I have at the university, every time there’s even a tiny achievement by one of them—they finally get all the irregular, past tense verbs right—I just come home feeling so happy.
Q You sure seem to like people.
A I love people. Anybody. Any age. Different cultures. They’re all really the same inside. They want the best for their family, their children. They all strive to have a good life.
Q Are you still in contact with any of your students?
A I just got an e-mail from a girl I taught in Belize. She’s now a teacher and asked if I could send some books so she could help her students become better readers. I’ve got a box packed, ready to go. Things like that make you feel like you’ve done something worthwhile in your life.