By Letter to the Editor on October 8, 2021.
Dear editor, Around this time two years ago, Design Kitchens’ Jamie and Jackie Taylor; Brost Developments’Aaron Brost, Tom Shaw; Creative Floor Coverings’ Dean McNamara, Tyson (Tyler) Bleile; Concept Plumbing’s Shawn and Jenny Yanke; The Electric Company’s Jim Zemp; Dulux Paints’ Michael Sauers; PlyGem Building Products’ Doug Vickery; and the rest of the fabulous people who finished working on a project and gave me the dream kitchen that I will always be grateful for. You may remember the stories written by the Medicine Hat News and the stories shown on CHAT TV two years ago. Suffice to say I went through a very bad experience where my contractor was in too deep and walked out, but after Jamie and Jackie Taylor witnessed the mess, they explained what was needed and they asked a group of their contractor friends if they would all help to make everything right for me. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I wanted to express how thankful I am to these wonderful people who came to my rescue and gave this extremely happy senior the best gift of her life. These fabulous people spared nothing for a person they didn’t know, but wanted to help. They were kind, generous, funny and so professional and they will be friends for life. They spent weeks starting from scratch building me a kitchen like no other! Really, my kitchen should be showcased in magazines just to give you all a glimpse of a what these awesome contractors are capable of. On Sept. 7, I was scheduled for a large surgery but I, like many others, was canceled 12 hours before the surgery was due because of COVID. I am truly fortunate though, as my surgery isn’t a life-or-death situation. So another huge silver lining. I’m in my home, safe, receiving phone calls from friends, enjoying three delicious meals a week from Meals on Wheels with Shaela always by my side. While I wait, I’m comfortable in my home with my perfect and very beautiful kitchen that is such a pleasure to cook in. It is so easy to open a drawer to find a can of soup, or cereal in the morning. Every time I go into my kitchen I think of at least one of the contractors and his or her story and how they made me laugh, honestly each person, in their own way, gave me so much joy and made me feel so special I would recommend all of these people in a heartbeat. They are not, in my opinion, just the best contractors in the Hat, but they are truly the people who make the heart of our community beat, who are very caring and believe in each and every citizen in the Hat and surrounding areas. I am still so very overwhelmed to all the people noted above for their kindness, generosity and caring and for bringing so much positivity to my life. I will always be thankful for your magnificent gift given with such professionalism, love and kindness, and for making me the most grateful and humble person around. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Carrie Renshaw Medicine Hat 10