The four people in the photo on the right grew up in Capreol and all attended elementary and secondary school in that town. After that they all went their separate ways and didn't meet again until they were drawn to a very special celebration which was held at the North Bay Memorial Gardens on May 6, 2006.  

They were among the 350 couples who had gathered to celebrate 50 or more years of marriage. It was one of the largest gatherings of people to honour the sacrament of marriage every held in Canada. There were people from all religious denominations and from all locations.

The happy people in the photo were, from the left: Terrance O'Connor and his wife Delores (nee Lamont), and Stan Martin & his wife, Verna (nee Sawyer).

Terrance and Delores were married in 1952. They lived in Oshawa for 44 years and then have lived in North Bay for the past 10 years where Terrance is a Deacon at St. Rita's Parish. Terrance has just celebrated 30 years as a Deacon on June 5. They have ten (10) children, all married, 22 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.

Stan and Verna have been married 51 years and are currently residing in Capreol. They have 5 children, all married, and 13 grandchildren.

A total of eight (8) couples from Capreol travelled to North Bay to attend the event, along with several others from Valley East and area. According to Verna, "Everyone who attended agreed it was very worthwhile and perhaps many more will attend if another event takes place next year. It was very emotional, especially when we all renewed our wedding vows in unison. It was a special event that we will always remember."

Bob Rittenhouse, the pastor of the First Baptist Church spoke about the importance of marriage and what the lifelong commitment means.

"Nothing is easier than saying words, like I love you. The hard thing is asking yourself do you meant them?"

Bob Eubanks, host of the popular game show, the Newlywed Game, provided many moments of humour during his presentation.

Organizer Tom Salidas, who sold the truck and trailer he won last year in the Big Brother's Dream Draw to help finance the event, is hoping to attract over 500 couples next summer.

   Ron Pedneault, owner of Fantastic Floors, located in the Valley Bingo Plaza in Val Caron, and his Sales Manager, Andy Szanto, are shown above examining a new shipment of “roll ends” that have just arrived at the store.
 
   Now that we have entered the spring season and people have been opening up their cottages, many of Ron’s customers have been asking him if he would search out “roll ends” that could be used for seasonal dwellings.
 
   “We’ve always made it perfectly clear that Fantastic Floors was in business to provide what our local customers need,” explained Ron. “So when we heard that there was a need for roll ends, we decided to search out the suppliers.”
 
   The biggest challenge facing Ron and Andy was not in finding roll ends at low prices. There are plenty of roll ends available from manufacturers at bargain basement prices. However, the tremendous support Ron has experienced since opening on October 1, 2005 has been a direct result of his commitment to quality – not only in the level of service he provides to his customers, or in his guarantee lowest prices, but also in the quality of his products. It has been the mix of service, quality and prices that has quickly moved FANTASTIC FLOORS to the head of the class when it comes to the flooring business.

   “I am not interested in a one-time sale,” Ron emphasized. “I want my customers to keep coming back to me for all of their flooring needs, and I want them to tell their family and friends about us. That means that when you come through our doors, you can be certain that you will be given the kind of treatment that will make you happy you dropped in. You will leave here knowing that your business is important to us and that we will take good care of you.”

   “So I did not just go out to find roll ends. I will only buy roll ends of quality carpeting. And I will only buy those products if I can keep my prices lower than any other flooring outlet in the entire City of Greater Sudbury ,” stated Ron with pride. “I guarantee that you won’t find anyone who can beat our prices on the roll ends I have in stock. Furthermore, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with the quality of the carpeting you get from our roll ends.”

   After spending over 30 years working in the flooring business on everything from installing to sales and management, Ron has found that the transition to owning and operating his own store has been extremely satisfying.
 
   “There are a lot of stores in the area selling flooring products,” explained Ron. “You can get hardwood, laminate, ceramic tiles, and carpeting from many other places, so at FANTASTIC FLOORS we know that we have to go out of our way to offer our customers that ‘something extra’ that they may not be able to find elsewhere. It’s that ‘something extra’ that makes us different.”

   FANTASTIC FLOORS, is open Monday to Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ; open late until 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and; open until 5 p.m. on Saturdays. 
 
   We also invite you to visit our new web site which can be found at www.fantasticfloors.ca to take a virtual look at FANTASTIC FLOORS.

The Club will be at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre parking lot on Wednesday, June 28, Thursday, June 29 and Friday, June 30.  

Funds generated are then distributed by the Kin Club to local Food Banks and several other organizations in need of financial support. The Kin Club operates out of the playground building in Blezard Valley where it is open Monday to Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 during the summer months to provide refreshments to the minor baseball players. The club house is also open whenever weekend tournaments are held at the fields.
 
   Bob and Mary-Lou Bolger, have been involved in a variety of leadership positions with the local group for over 20 years. “Serving the community’s greatest needs” has been the motto for the Kin Club of Valley East, which has been quietly working to improve the quality of life for so many residents for so many years. 
  
   If you are looking at purchasing fireworks for the July 1 holiday, give some thought to supporting the Kin Club of Valley East. The fireworks are less expensive than you will find most other places and all of the profits go directly back into the community.

When Ron is not selling cars, finding cars or driving around in one of his own classic cars, he can often be found enjoying time behind the wheel of one of his "big toys" to which it is often referred.

Here, Ron is leveling out some 60 loads of crushed gravel to expand and improve the looks of the Falconbridge location of Masciangelo Motors. The landscaping will allow him to bring in and showcase far more vehicles and will also add to the appearance of the lot which can be viewed by thousands of people each day as they drive past. When completed and everything is dried up properly, Masciangelo Motors will indeed offer customers the ultimate experience when it comes to finding a quality pre-owned vehicle that is just right for them.

Ron Masciangelo is a familiar name in the car business around Greater Sudbury. This has been his career since 1974, and it has been his son, Jeff’s, since he was “old enough to wash cars”.

Masciangelo Motors was created in 1993 and since then this family run business has developed a solid reputation for selling quality pre-owned vehicles at an affordable price. The number of return customers is proof positive that people are satisfied with the products they purchase from Masciangelo Motors.

You can find out much more by visiting the Masciangelo Motors web site at www.masciangelomotors.com