Don Mihalick will never retire to a condominium. At 72, he has so much grass that it takes him three days to cut and trim it, and that suits him just fine because he enjoys cutting grass.

In fact he puts in longer days now than when he worked for CP Rail for 37 years. "Guess you'd say I'm a workaholic," he said. "I've got to keep busy. T.V. is not for me. I was always like that. At six and seven I was cutting cordwood with my father and I just continued. But I can't do as much as I used to. I'd like to have more energy."

Mihalick retired early for a hobby. He wanted to build a railroad on his five and one half acres just north of Armstrong. So he did. It took him ten years, with help from his wife Midge and one of his sons. Now he has a bustling operation that had 5000 visitors this past season!

But it is still a hobby - one that he enjoys sharing with others. He has never advertised or charged admittance, but he has kindergarten classes come through and even tour buses. He and Midge explain everything to them and take them for a ride. Sometimes he will wear his conductor uniform, which still fits. Recently he added a donation box, which he said helps to cover the cost of gas and some repairs.

Mihalick's track goes through a 32 foot tunnel and over a trestle which is 90 feet long and 23 feet high. There is a station house just like the real thing and a water tower, a speeder, a lighthouse, a roundabout, a diesel horn and crossing lights, all of which work.

There is a real caboose to explore and a museum, which has a Thomas the Tank Train that he built, and collections of railroad clamps, stoves, typewriters, telex machines and tools. There are railroad puzzles on the walls (he does about three a year) and 6-49 tickets papering the ceiling.

Mihalick walks everyday in the afternoon for an hour and enjoys taking longer walks whenever he can. By that he means between cities! Salmon Arm takes him three hours, Vernon takes 4 hours and Revelstoke takes three days. He said, "I'm slowing down now. I used to do six kilometers per hour. But I had four by-pass operations five years ago."

Midge likes to sew and use the computer and she helps him with his projects. She set up a "lemon tree" with plastic lemons hanging from it in the forested area of track and a "rubber tree" with rubber boots. They have two sons and two daughters and recently had their 48th anniversary.
Mihalick grew up with 11 siblings in Manitoba and has relatives "from here to Montreal." They hosted a family reunion in 1989 in which 180 people stayed on their property and another one in 2000 with 90. The museum/workshop was transformed into a dance hall on these occasions.

He and Midge also keep a vegetable garden. In the winter the tunnel makes a perfect root cellar and when the train is tucked away there it is full of bulbs, carrots and potatoes.

Mihalick has other health challenges, but says, "I can't stop. Then I'd be giving up." He gives much of the credit for his active and fulfilling life to a good marriage.

Dec 05/Lynn Dewing