This is to all of you who have stuck around. What with the mill closing and other business’s shutting down I have to give credit to all that stayed. In the last six month I’ve seen people in town that I’ve not seen in a few year. When I asked where you been, to my surprise they never left. Its easy to get your self in a rut when nothing seems to be going right. It was sad to see so many of our friends lose their homes & jobs.Now I see some old faces, when asked what you doing back? they say work (WORK) in Rupert.(FANSTATIC) Im unsure of how many people will be working at the port?or what the total will be in the second phase it seems every one Im talking to lately are going for a medical old longshoreman who had a number are being giving the opportunity to get a job.The housing market has sky rocketd things are looking good.I can fight just as good as the rest of our council Hell I know I can take most of em oh yeah I don’t need beer or drugs.(can’t fight but should see me box) lol
Born and Raised in this town and only left 2x once was for college and second time was for medical resaons for 1 of the kids but came back both times and is still here, so guess true Rupertites never leave and when they do they eventually come back. proud to be a Rupertitie
I’m hearing more and more about young people who left to seek work elsewhere in the past few years who are making definite plans to come back in the very near future…good for them and I hope the influx of kids and their skilled parents helps Rupert to keep their schools and amenities open and thriving. I lived there for twenty years and while I’d not call myself a Rupertite, I still think of the city and my friends there very fondly-I love the West Coast life a lot and Prince Rupert played a huge part in cementing my love affair with the life out here.
Most-likely ill be in rupert my life, My plans is to go for my Welding ticket when i finish school, but i still havent decided yet. I may want to get into small business administration, itll cost alot more money and I would probably have to go to college down south somewhere but itll be a better work, ill have more money. But I like working in a shop Its hard to decide.
I sense an almost xenophobic attitude in this thread. “Real Rupertite” Come on.
I moved to Rupert in 1990 and lived there until 2005. My wife and I decided to move back to our home province to get closer to our aging parents. Thankfully, the majority of people I met when I was in Prince Rupert were not like some of you guys and while they clearly knew I wasn’t born there, they always made me feel like I belonged.
When I was there, the same rain fell on my head as other people, the same sun shined so I could see the full splendor of the city, I paddled my kayak over the same ocean and lakes, I saw the same mountains when driving up the Skeena, I felt the same winter storms. I shared the same concerns over the economic situation.
I embraced this city, with all it’s beauty and all it’s problems. A part of me is still sometimes longing to return. So I can tell you that no matter what you think, I was a Rupertite when I was there. The only reason I wouldn’t call myself one now is because my residence isn’t there anymore.
I´m not originally from Rupert and I´m not there at the moment, either. However, being somewhat of a drifter with no real permanent residence anymore, if you asked me where I´m from I´d say Rupert. Like BigThumb I´d have to say I feel I´m just as much of a ¨Real Rupertite¨ as anyone who has ´stuck it out´.
My impression of a “real” Rupertite would be someone like I described in my above post, who may have left because of work dilemmas in the past but their heart has always been there and given the chance, would most gladly come back again. I’m happier to be where I am now (Vancouver Island) because I prefer the lifestyle choices here but I think it’s great that people are making definite plans to come back even though it’s going to be a while before the city gets back on it’s feet again. Friends who left there almost twenty years ago still talk about Rupert with a lot of warm nostalgia and I tell them you can take the boy out of the city but not the city out of the boy…that’s a Rupertite in my eyes.
I believe anyone brave enough to call them self a Rupertite, is a Rupertite. Ich Bin “Rupertite”. Pride in ones city is commendable. I know in Vancouver, there are Rupertites who still have Rupert night. A chance for ex-pats to meet and share stories.