“No,” Bill said. “It was never in question to not come today.” BY KIMBERLY HUFF ADVERTISING SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY They hail from British Columbia and from as far east as Nova Scotia. The annual gathering of Kona Canadians
BY KIMBERLY HUFF
SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY
They hail from British Columbia and from as far east as Nova Scotia. The annual gathering of Kona Canadians met on a beach at Old Kona Airport Park to share food and talk story. The Feb. 3 event marked 20 years of gathering for friendship and potluck.
The mood and atmosphere were light and gay. Beach chairs and ice chests donned the picnic area. Laughter and hugs abounded. The only plan of the day was to stay until it grew dark.
With nothing specific set for the agenda, everyone seemed eager to catch up with one another and simply eat, drink and be merry.
Terri and Ed Haberman of Victoria, British Columbia, are two of the key organizers. The two return to Kona every year for the climate and “wonderful people.”
“As Canadians, we can spend no more than six months in the U.S. so we spend half our time here and half our time in Canada,” Terri said.
The crowd had started arriving a little before 4 p.m. and opened with a round of “O Canada.” Watching everyone pour their heart into song was touching for many, and some even became a little misty-eyed. For many, the annual potluck offers an opportunity to reminisce and even form new friendships as new Canadians
join the group. First-timers were encouraged to introduce themselves to everyone.
When asked if the group had a club name or title, Terri said, “Nope. We just say we’re Canadian.”
When asked how the gathering of Canadians started, Terri said, “The Alaskans did it. Years ago, there was an article in the paper mentioning it. So we thought, ‘If Alaskans can do it, so can Canadians.'”
Here is how it works: Every year, the Habermans, along with fellow Canadians Pat and Mike Petryk, start sending out emails to all the local Canadians as a reminder. The date is the same every year — the Thursday prior to Super Bowl Sunday. They also place an ad in the newspaper, hoping to attract attention to any Canadians new to the area.
“We also rely on a lot of word-of-mouth,” Pat said.
Everyone contributes to the potluck. A liquor license is obtained so anyone who wishes to enjoy a glass of wine with the fare may do so.
“With Christmastime being so busy, we figure this time of year is as good as any,” Terri said.
“We started out years ago with just maybe 20. Now this year even, I think we have more than 40 here today,” Pat said.
Many of those at the event mentioned they had been attending for years, and they enjoyed meeting people from their homeland with whom they share something in common.
For many, it seems Kona is also home. Mike Petryk, a retired dentist, and his wife, Pat, own a home on Oahu as well as in Kona.
“We prefer it here. We spend hardly any time on Oahu,” Pat said.
Larry and Karen Klone of Alberta came to Hawaii for the first time 35 years ago.
“We just love it here,” Larry said.
“We spend five months here every year and then the other seven in Canada. It’s perfect,” Karen said.
Ron and Sharon Carlson of Edmonton, Alberta, have been coming to the island for 25 years. Sharon said she loves Kona, but she doesn’t like to tell people that.
“We don’t tell anybody because we don’t want everybody to come and make it too crowded,” she said.
Bill and Donna Carlson of Edmonton, Alberta, who were also celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary that day, have been coming to the gathering for the past 27 years. When asked if they could have imagined spending their anniversary anywhere else that day, they smiled and shook their head.
“No,” Bill said. “It was never in question to not come today.”
