Christmas Seal ship anchored at North Harbour.

When I married, my husband was Postmaster in North Harbour. The salary was practically nil, $25.00 quarterly – so it was really a community commitment. My husband had to go to work to support his new family so I as sworn in and appointed Acting Postmaster. We were very isolated, having no road or telephone communication. The mail was a link with the world. We received mail once a week. It was the highlight of the week for the people who eagerly awaited the arrival of letters, parcels and news from loved ones and it was a gathering place for the people.

About sixty years ago, many people could not read or write, so many of the things I did were writing letters, money orders, etc. for many of my customers. There was a rapport developed between my customers and myself. They trusted me and it gave me a good feeling to be able to help them. As Postmasters we were called upon to sign documents that required a sworn personÕs signature.

After Confederation with Canada we received mail from Monday to Friday. It was very busy with money orders, C.O.D.s, etc. People did most of their shopping through catalogues so bags and bags of mail arrived every day. The Post Office was unionized and we received a little more remuneration for our work.

I would like to conclude by telling a little of the history of the Post Office in North Harbour. The first Post Office opened in the mid-eighteen hundreds. It was located in the same site that it is today. The first Postmaster was my late husband's father, Patrick Bonia who served until he was sixty-five. Then his son (my late husband) Jeremiah Bonia became Postmaster until his retirement in 1971, after having reached age sixty-five. I then began the duties and also retired at age sixty-five.

When many of the smaller post offices were closed, our post office still remained open. We still have a Postmaster and receive mail every day. The Post Office is in the same location and people gather there to pick up their mail as in days of yore. As I watch from my window, I recall many happy moments of the friendships that I formed for a life time.

The North Side of North Harbour