Two of the most kind-hearted and unique people you will ever meet live right here in North Battleford.
Carolin Palmer, an eccentric artist, and her husband Joe, a non-traditional retiree, have lived in North Battleford since moving from Nova Scotia about 15 years ago. Joe is from North Battleford, but when they first came to town they didn鈥檛 plan to stay.
鈥淲e came here in 1999 to check on his mom,鈥� Carolin explained. 鈥淒ecided to stay here for a month or two and from there it just became a permanent thing. Got work, got to know the community, his mom didn鈥檛 want us to leave so I think we鈥檙e stuck here for the long haul now.鈥�
What makes them kind is they鈥檙e always willing to help those in need.
鈥淚 remember years ago in the middle of winter, some kids came by our house asking if our daughter could come out and play,鈥� reminisced Joe. 鈥淚t was about 11 at night, and these kids didn鈥檛 have any gloves or hats on. So Carolin goes out and spends a small fortune at the goodwill store to make sure if any kids ever came by again not dressed properly, we could give them some clothes to keep warm.鈥�
Their generosity isn鈥檛 strictly a winter thing, though.
鈥淚n the summer we鈥檒l have kids riding their bikes around here, and I鈥檝e had a kid鈥檚 bike break right in front of our house,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淚f I can fix it right there and then I鈥檒l do it, but sometimes I鈥檝e had to go to the store to get a part for the bike. I mean, what鈥檚 four dollars? Nothing.鈥�
What makes them unique is the setup they have in their backyard. Similar to what you would see on an elementary school playground, the Palmers鈥� backyard is a child鈥檚 dream. A Big Toy with slides, a pool, a miniature house, a deck with a 鈥渂ar,鈥� a change room and swings, all hand-built.
鈥淚t all started with a sandbox,鈥� said Joe. 鈥淭hen we decided to cover the sandbox, so we built this,鈥� he said, motioning to the Big Toy.
The nautical themed contraption was designed that way by Carolin, and includes a treasure chest under one set of stairs, a handmade ship on chains underneath that can fit about six kids and a pirate cutout that kids can stick their face into for a funny picture.
It鈥檚 grown exponentially over the nine years they鈥檝e lived in their current home, and the Palmers keep it as cost-effective as possible.
鈥淲e have had to buy some lumber of course, but a lot of it has been donated,鈥� Carolin said. 鈥淭here are so many people who know we care for these children, and take in these children, they just donate.鈥�
The value of what they have is gargantuan compared to what they鈥檝e put into it.
鈥淭he guys who build these things for schools, one of them came by and took a look at it and said if you put this into a school it would be worth at least $17,000,鈥� Joe said, compared to the approximately $5,000 they鈥檝e spent putting it together. 鈥淪ometimes we鈥檒l see something we could use to add to it, but if you wait a few weeks it goes on sale and you can get it for a fraction of the price.鈥�
While they have just two children living with them now, the Palmer鈥檚 have nine kids in total, three adopted, aging from 33 to five, along with 16 grandchildren.
鈥淚 only sleep about five hours a night. Always have,鈥� Carolin said with a laugh when asked if she鈥檚 gotten a full night鈥檚 sleep in the past three decades.
They say people come from the surrounding area to see for themselves what the Palmers have done with their backyard. It might be somewhat surprising there has been only one incident of major vandalism on their property over the years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad because you want to go talk to the parents about it, but often the parents are worse than the kids,鈥� Carolin said.
As you might imagine, kids at the Palmer residence don鈥檛 spend a lot of time indoors.
鈥淭he kids are outside all day as long as it鈥檚 sunny or some kind of warm,鈥� said Carolin. 鈥淭hey have tablets, but the batteries are dead and they haven鈥檛 touched them in months,鈥� Joe added. 鈥淓arly April they were already sitting in the pool at 10 degrees.鈥�
While it was never the plan at the beginning to have the backyard the way it is now, there鈥檚 no chance they鈥檒l stop now. Joe has some ideas about what he wants to add, although Carolin isn鈥檛 sure she agrees.
鈥淚 would love to make a little Ferris wheel,鈥� Joe said as Carolin shook her head. 鈥淎 little four-seater that the kids could sit in, with seatbelts, of course. This place is always changing. If you come back a year from now it might look completely different.鈥�
鈥淲e never really thought about it that way,鈥� Carolin said. 鈥淛ust one step at a time, but my imagination never quits. I live, breathe and sleep creativity. It鈥檚 always in my mind what鈥檚 next.鈥�
That explains why Carolin has become a successful artist in the past few years.
鈥淚 basically have been an artist all my life, but not doing anything with it,鈥� Carolin said. 鈥淥ver the last two years I decided I would try taking it to another level to see if I could get a career out of it.鈥�
Social media is a fantastic outlet for anyone looking to get themselves out to an audience they might not normally be able to reach.
鈥淚 joined Twitter, which I was really raw about, and quickly figured that out and gained a lot of followers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just grew and from there I was picked up by a publisher, and I鈥檝e got a novel done which will feature my artwork throughout.鈥�
That won鈥檛 be the first time her work has been published, however.
鈥淚鈥檝e been published in children鈥檚 magazines, I鈥檝e got artwork that鈥檚 been used internationally for the Save The Frogs foundation,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have artwork in the Cracker Jack museum in New Hampshire. I was discovered by them on Myspace by Ron Toth, he鈥檚 the artist advisor for Cracker Jack and Frito Lays, and he got a hold of me because he had seen a lot of my pictures. He wanted some paintings I had done for his gallery and museum.鈥�
Perhaps an underrated move that Palmer did was giving Toth her artwork for free, instead of charging him.
鈥淚 opted not to sell it to him because if you sell something, it鈥檚 done. I gave it to him and that kept our connection and from that he鈥檚 been a good inspiration for me. I call him my mentor basically. I can call him if I have any questions or I need some help with the legalities of this business.鈥�
Writing and pictures for books aren鈥檛 the only type of artwork she does, as she鈥檚 begun to hand paint shoes and even has a t-shirt line coming out.
鈥淭he Calgary Zoo has already seen [the shirts] and they want a price list and what I have available,鈥� Carolin explained. Canadian Wildlife Having Fun contacted her through her Facebook page asking her to become a member of their team and provide artwork as well.
Her novel, which will have a variety of stories about her life growing up in Nova Scotia, isn鈥檛 the only book she鈥檚 working on either.
鈥淚 have a children鈥檚 book that the publishing company wanted a year ago,鈥� she laughed. 鈥淏ut with everything else coming up, including the novel I wasn鈥檛 planning on writing, it had to get put on hold and they were quite okay with that. I may not be a patient person when it comes to [adding to her backyard], but I am when it comes to my career, because I wasn鈥檛 expecting to have this career, so what鈥檚 the hurry?鈥�
A year from now she鈥檒l travel home to Nova Scotia to promote her artwork and book in her home province. Her book will be available next spring.
鈥淚 have an art show at the Marigold Centre so I鈥檒l have to have 20 to 30 watercolour paintings ready for that show,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen a book signing around the province.鈥�
She began experimenting with painting shoes recently, and it鈥檚 already beginning to look like it will be another successful venture.
鈥淚 just took up painting [shoes] about three weeks ago and I sold my very first pair I ever painted to someone in France,鈥� she laughed.
聽鈥淲e had my niece鈥檚 kids here a while ago and [Carolin] painted these pictures and put them on t-shirts for the kids,鈥� Joe explained. 鈥淣ext thing you know they鈥檙e putting these things on Facebook, and she鈥檚 getting messages about where people can buy shirts of their own.鈥�
As you might imagine, all these projects Carolin has on the go at any given time means she鈥檚 constantly working.
鈥淎side from my children, who come first, every other minute has been dedicated to me building a career out of my talents,鈥� she said. 鈥淸Joe] is retired and I鈥檓 in no physical condition to work, so I need to do this if we want to have a decent income. Sometimes I鈥檓 working at home from five until nine or 10 at night, all winter long.鈥�
Even though she never planned to go down this career path, Carolin says she knows what her ultimate goals are.
鈥淚 just want to see my books on the shelf,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even care if it鈥檚 the Sally Ann shelf, as long as it鈥檚 on the shelf. It would be neat to see someone wearing my t-shirts when I鈥檓 walking through a zoo just randomly. Just enjoy life, have fun. That鈥檚 it, life isn鈥檛 long enough as is.鈥�
Despite constantly being busy, it seems the Palmers enjoy life quite a bit.
