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Twins born in Sechelt turned 90 July 2

The first set of non-Indigenous twins born in Sechelt celebrated their 90th birthday on July 2, just missing Canada Day by hours. Genny Page and Marguerite Hansen are healthy, lively and interested in the world around them.
twins
Coast residents Marguerite Hansen (left) and Genevieve Page, believed to be the first non-Indigenous twins born in Sechelt. They turned 90 on July 2.

The first set of non-Indigenous twins born in Sechelt celebrated their 90th birthday on July 2, just missing Canada Day by hours.

Genny Page and Marguerite Hansen are healthy, lively and interested in the world around them. 

In 1907, Sechelt was just opening up to immigrants. Their father lined up with other hopefuls for three days, waiting to get a piece of waterfront property.

Unfortunately, he had to leave the line to get food and water. He didn’t get waterfront, but he did get a piece of land. 

On his 40th birthday, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in World War 1 and served overseas, where he met and married an English woman. They returned to Sechelt after the war and homesteaded in a small cabin. Mum soon had twins, followed by four more children. 

They lived in a one-bedroom, dilapidated cabin: no running water, they grew all their own food. The family all slept in the same bedroom. The twins took turns each morning, hauling water, lighting the fire, making porridge and getting things started. They fed the chickens, cut wood and kindling, did chores, made and stacked the hay, delivered milk, picked berries and generally helped. And went to school. 

“We wore shorts from March to November,” Marguerite recalls. “In those days, girls weren’t allowed to wear pants.”

Genny adds: “We always played outside in our free time and went to the beach every day. We were never still.” Despite their hard work, she said: “We had a wonderful childhood.” And her twin agreed.

A highlight was the arrival of the Union Steamships in summer. The visitors from Vancouver landed at the wharf and set up picnics. The twins joined in. “We got free ice cream cones and hot dogs,” Genny recalls proudly.

“We always played games. We were never in the house.” 

They both reached Grade 10 and then worked and married. Like their parents, they each had six children. 

They recall those early days fondly. Is hard work and hard play the reason that Fairey and Darkey (their nicknames) have lived so long and are still bright as buttons?