IRENE ABBEY

                                  When did I first, oh, I know how it came up

                                                                       I thought that was nice

                                                                       I didn’t go till, I was visiting my other son in Toronto

                                                                       I want to come, so don’t go until I come and, we’ll go together.

                                                                       I’m too old and sick to go but Bruce said “sure let her go”.

                                                                       I slept in Toronto,

                            I had to get a ticket and I had to leave home at three o’ clock in the morning

                                                                       I slept here in Vancouver,

                                                                       I slept at a Voice of Women friend in Nanaimo,

                                                                       I slept at a Bed and Breakfast.

                                               Norman and I were so tired,

                                                                       I was back here, I had six beds in six nights.

                                                                       I know her mother, she gets some good pictures that day

                                                                       I did it.

                                                                       I had to get started,  

                                                                       I did, because once you start, they can't very well interrupt you.

It was pouring rain on labour weekend; I was in such pain

                                                               that I’d say, “oh I just can’t stand it another minute more”

                                                       that’s all I did

                                                             I got, I don’t know how many, 40,000 or something

                                                                       I took them all and gave them to, oh this wonderful man who just died,

                                                                       I think he committed suicide.

                                                                       I don’t know why.

                                       We, Norman and I stayed here you see, we had lots of pictures of ourselves

                                                                      I will show them.

                                                                    “I’m a criminal”.

                                                      because I’m old they were very nice,

                                                                      I guess they were on our side.

                                                                      I know that Norman and I each had 40 pages of stuff about our lives,

                                                                      I don't think the judge ever looked at any.

                         I am older than Norman, I had more than he had,

                         what a wonderful citizen I was.

                                                                      I don't think the judge ever paid any attention

                                                                      I went, having been accused of criminal contempt.

Citation

Moore, Niamh, “Oral history interview with Irene Abbey Day 1 (audio recording and transcript),” Clayoquot Lives: An Ecofeminist Story Web, accessed April 23, 2023, https://clayoquotlives.sps.ed.ac.uk/items/show/32