麻豆传媒AV

What do you do when you find your forever home? You give back to it.

That's Leah Milton's belief, and she has been living that belief in the Battlefords now for almost 20 years.

"I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to move here," says Anderson Pump House Ltd.'s new customer and employee experience manager. "This is home, this is absolutely home."

The Battlefords became Milton's weekend home in 1995. As she explains it, her belongings took up residence here with her partner, school principal George Ridley, when he moved here for work. For them both to meet their professional goals, she knew he would have to go where his work was, but she could continue in her chosen field of project management by starting her own consultancy, which didn't need a permanent home base.

She commuted between the Battlefords and clients in Saskatoon and Regina, contracting with firms such as Deloitte Touche, with whom she had a 10-year employment record, and MacPherson Leslie and Tyerman, as well as smaller clients.

After six years, however, she decided she'd spent enough time on the road and began to look around the Battlefords for something in her field.

At that time, she says, project management was "still kind of an unknown."

"I had lots of interviews, but nobody really knew what to do with me," she laughs. Fortunately, she says, having been contracted to do some computer training for the City of North Battleford when they were switching from DOS to Windows, the economic development person of the time suggested she try Battlefords Tribal Council because "they were very progressive in economic development and they were large enough to be able to hire me."

She was hired by BTC Management Inc. in June 2001 as a consultant to develop a training and employment centre for First Nations people, and in 2002 became its full time director.

It had very high success rates, she says, pointing to a 75 per cent graduation rate, with 75 per cent of its participants moving into employment or on to further education.

At its initiation, the federal government had a focus on training for First Nations, but over so many years, federal government tends to move on. It became harder and harder to get funding for the training centre, she says, then, events within the tribal council resulted in the formation of a second council and, unfortunately, the training centre was lost.

"I was moved into the management area and worked there until this past October."

Milton, who became the executive director of BTC, says, "There are two things I've always believed in life. I don't believe anything happens by chance; there's always a reason for everything. And I've always followed my intuition; it's been pretty spot on."

She says, "When I first met with the tribal council, I knew that's who I needed to concentrate on, that's where I was supposed to be, and I'm very happy that I went there."

But, she says, at some point her intuition started saying, "It's time for change now ... it's a time for new opportunities."

She says, "I knew it was time to move on, so I sat down and really thought about what it was I wanted to do."

She'd never worked for a privately owned business and that intrigued her.

She had a shopping list. She was looking for a privately owned enterprise with good customer service that treated its employees well, knowing such a business will be one that has invariably done well. Anderson Pump House Ltd., owned by Howard and Sharon Kirby, topped her list. In 2013, in addition to celebrating 30 years in business, Anderson Pump House Ltd. received the BBEX Heritage Award at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce 2013 BBEX Awards ceremony in North Battleford and was inducted into the Saskatchewan Business Hall of Fame at the ABEX awards in Saskatoon.

"I've known Sharon Kirby for many years," says Milton, "and Howard through the community. They have an amazing reputation."

Milton says, knowing they treat their customers well and that most of their employees had been there for a long time, they had everything on her wish list.

"So I actually phoned up Howard and said can I come over and have coffee with him."

She arrived at his office, told him her story and what she was looking for, and said she'd be thrilled if there was any opportunity to join the team there.

He went home and talked to Sharon, she says, and a few weeks later they got together and talked again.

Anderson Pump House has grown to include 30 employees in North Battleford and 16 in Prince Albert, says Milton, and when you get to that size you need someone to focus on maintaining the culture that has fostered that growth.

"It's a wonderful culture here," says Milton. "It's really important to them not to lose that as they continue to grow so customers needs are being met and, just as importantly, the employees want to come to work in the morning, finding it exciting and a challenge."

The Kirbys created a new position for Milton, with Sharon coming up with the title Customer and Employee Experience Manager. It's "not your typical position," says Milton, but it follows the new age of creating positive experiences. She began work Nov. 12.

"It's been wonderful," she says. "I am very happy here and excited for what the next many years have in store for me here."

Milton and Ridley enjoy their home in North Battleford.

"We have a nice, big house, and it's full," she says. "We collect!"

She has a grown stepson who lives in Saskatoon.

"I have an absolutely adorable three-year-old granddaughter and they are expecting another one," Milton says. "I love being a grandma."

She also has two older brothers who live in Regina, and the resultant nieces and nephews, also grown.

"I was raised on a farm 50 miles south of Regina, by a little town called Perry, near Avonlea."

As she approached teenage years, the family started spending the winters in Regina. Her father was ill and they needed to be near a hospital. With the difference in school systems, it was decided she should stay in Regina to go to school.

"I lived in Regina and worked there until I moved my possessions here in 1995."

Because she was commuting and was only "home" on weekends, she didn't immediately have the opportunity to get to know the Battlefords.

"I didn't know how I would adjust, coming from a city the size of Regina to a smaller city like North Battleford."

But the gradual move over her six-year commute allowed her to develop a true appreciation of the things a smaller city has to offer, and it wasn't just the obvious things, like traffic, she says.

"The people here I have always found to be absolutely amazing. I had wondered, how do you start over, how do you recreate that kind of friendship with new people that you had so long somewhere else? It was just never an issue. I met great people at the beginning and they are my best friends to this day, and will be forever."

Her partner retired as principal of McKitrick School six years ago. Five years ago, Milton was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Ridley, in his retirement, spent an entire year devoted to her care through surgery and daily trips to Saskatoon for chemotherapy.

"I have talked to people who have done their drives on their own," says Milton, "and I call them 'superpeople.' I couldn't have done that."

Milton says for her the treatment was exhausting, emotionally and physically draining. She also experienced allergic reactions to some of the medicines.

"George took very good care of me for a whole year."

She also has thanks for her doctors. She calls Dr. Jeffrey Hesselson her "superdoctor."

She says, "I found the lump myself, and I phoned him the next day and he said come in right away."

He was able to get her in at the end of November for a mammogram, then an ultra sound. They didn't like what they saw, so she was sent to Saskatoon for a biopsy. It was her birthday, Jan. 21.

Within 10 days, they knew it was cancer, and Dr. Hesselson phoned North Battleford general surgeon Dr. Malcom Retief. Milton describes him as another amazing doctor who fit her in the same day.

She and Ridley went in at 4:30 p.m. and the waiting room was full. They waited until 7 p.m. She was the last patient. When he came out, he told them not to worry about the time.

"If we have to sit here for three hours and talk about this, we will sit here for three hours and talk about this," he told them.

With almost no cancer in her family, "It never even occurred to me," she says. "All of a sudden you get that news, that shock that you've got cancer, it blew me away. I went into full panic, the whole works."

But, she says, by the time they left the office that evening, her fear was gone.

"I had so much confidence, I went home and slept like a baby that night."

Feb. 9, she had surgery.

"I found out at the end of November, and by Feb. 9 I was already cancer free [although she still had to have chemo.] To me, it's such a little tiny pocket of time."

It may have been a short time, but it was life-changing.

"You re-evalute everything in your life," says Milton. "It really does change your whole life when something like that happens. I'd never wish that on anybody, but, at the same time, I'm grateful for the time it allowed me to think through a lot of things in my life and realize you can't take life for granted."

This Feb. 9 will be Milton's five year anniversary and she describes herself as "very healthy."

Milton says she has a weaker immune system, and she doesn't think she ever got over the exhaustion of it totally, but, she says, "If that's the only side effect, I'm happy to take it."

As a member of the Battlefords community, Milton has always chosen to give back, and over the years she has been on numerous committees and boards.

"I've always believed if you live in a community that is good to you, you need to be good to it back."

Just before she became sick, she admits, it was probably excessive - she was serving on 18 or 20 committees, plus a full time job and a home life.

"That's definitely changed," she laughs. "It's down to seven or eight."

She has just finished more than 10 years involvement with the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce, serving as president in 2010. She was also chair of Battlefords Tourism for four years and she hosted local cable show Talk of the Town until she got cancer.

She was also involved with the Boys and Girls Club, as BTC was a contributor, and has since resigned. She spent the last year on the City of North Battleford's centennial committee as finance chair.

"I enjoyed that very much."

Milton also loves the arts and got involved with the multipurpose facility fundraising committee "way back when, 10 years ago."

She says, "The theatre excited me the most, because I love arts."

She has been involved with the Battlefords District Community Foundation for several years and is still active with that initiative. She is also still active with Lend A Paw.

"I've always loved animals."

She grew up on a farm that always had cats.

"Our farm had two roads, in and out," says Milton. "People knew I loved cats, and Mom and Dad were very kind-hearted and would never hurt anything. Many a night, at one o'clock, we'd hear a vehicle come in slow down and then take off. The next morning there'd be a new bundle of a cat or a family."

At one time, they had 18 cats. She fed each of them by hand, and she had names for all of them. There were cats galore, but the family only ever had one dog.

When one of the farm cats had a litter of kittens in the window well of the house, the family dog set about protecting them. When the cats were attacked by a rabid skunk, the dog was bitten, and had to be shot.

"Our entire family was so devastated, we couldn't get another dog. It broke our hearts."

Nowadays, Milton and Ridley have a four-pound miniature poodle, who Milton says has been running their household for the last 12 years.

One cold and snowy day, a BTC staff member heard whining at her back door and opened it to find a tiny puppy, frozen and starving and crying. She brought it to work until she could figure out what to do with it. When she had to go into a meeting, so she asked Milton if she would mind taking care of the dog.

"This little dog would not go anywhere except my lap," said Milton.

At the end of day, the staff member couldn't take it home because she had kids and cats at home, and asked if Milton could. The next day, Friday, she and Ridley put up signs and had announcements made on the radio. Nobody called so they had to take her home for the weekend.

"She won both of our hearts from day one by Sunday that was it, I fell in love and she's been with us ever since."

Named Butterscotch after the butterscotch colouring of her baby coat, which has since matured to white, she was a comfort to Milton when she was recovering from cancer.

She always knew when I was having a bad day," she says. "She was right there."

Milton reckons Butterscotch has a vocabulary of 250 words.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm chatting with her and I can read her mind through her eyes, answering me."

Butterscotch is also a favourite of Milton's mother. Charlotte Rasmussen moved from Regina to a personal care home in North Battleford a year and a half ago.

"Butterscotch just waits for Friday after work because I go pick up Mom and bring her home for the weekend. "

Milton's home and her office, and even the fence in her yard, are decorated with artwork done by her mother. It started with a painting class during a period of grief.

"Dad passed away when he was fairly young," says Milton. "For two years, everyday, we'd visit Dad in either home or hospital."

After someone passes away, what do you do with all that time that had been dedicated to one task, she asks. Having always been amazed at her mother's ability to "doodle" entire scenes while talking on the phone, she signed her mother up for an art class.

"She is a natural. She fell in love with it," says Milton.

Although she can't see as well now, she still paints. Birds and scenery are her favourite. The seniors' home she lived in in Regina even commissioned her to do a painting for the lobby.

Milton says she didn't inherit her mother's gift.

"I can't do freehand art like she does."

They did, however, paint a back fence mural together featuring Fort Battleford.

She and her mother also love cooking and baking.

"She taught me how to cook and bake and now before Christmas we still get together and do baking for Christmas."

Now that Christmas is over, Milton will be changing out her Christmas d茅cor for the next of the several themes she decorates for each year. Themes, she says, are among the things she collects.

"I love themes. My house changes every three months. Now it's Christmas. But then it will be Valentines, then Easter, then two or three themes over the summer, then Halloween, then it starts all over again."

The themes are found inside and out.

"George has created a beautiful back yard with a waterfall and flowers, so I accessorize spring to fall," laughs Milton.

There are other collectibles.

"I love every girly thing you can imagine, hats, jewelry, purses, shoes, anything that sparkles."

She has five pairs of eyeglasses, all the same prescription.

She also enjoyed a variety in her hairstyles and hair colour over the years.

"That goes with my short attention span and a great hairdresser," laughs Milton. Krisy Wandler has been her hairstylist for a long time.

"Before I got cancer, I thought I had found the perfect hair, perfect colour perfect length," says Milton. "And then I went bald."

Milton says, "Me being me, I went on to eBay and started buying wigs. I bought every colour, every length, curly, straight, you name it, I decided just to have fun with it."

She went a whole year with a different hairstyle every day.

In fact, she had her head shaved before she started chemo. Her hair was very thick and she didn't want to go through the process of it falling out. Thinking it would be too traumatic to have it done in a public salon, she went to the home of a friend, Nora Rongve.

Fortunately, Milton says, her hair came back even fuller than before. What has brought her to her hairstyle of today, says Milton, was the platinum Marilyn Monroe look she loved during her year of many hairstyles.

With a new job and new year starting, Milton is looking forward.

"I firmly believe the Battlefords has been wonderful to me. That's why I want to make it my permanent forever home. And if that's the case I need to give back."