As the world was inching towards the end of World War 2, Madeline Copeland was working at the Burgess battery factory near Niagara Falls, which manufactured cell batteries for the war effort. While working there, she remembers a “German saboteur” who set fire to a conveyor belt, and how it ruined a whole pile of walkie talkie batteries. She laughs, and says honestly that it wasn’t a very pleasant experience.
But soon, the war ended, and Copeland moved to Vancouver where her sister was living at the time. On August 15, 1945—which would come to be known as Victory over Japan Day—Copeland’s sister called to invite her to come celebrate at a bar in the city. Copeland took a streetcar down to the pub where she met her sister, her sister’s boyfriend and his friend, Harvey Copeland—who would end up becoming her husband within the next six months. They had drinks and finally celebrated the end of the war.
During the war, Harvey was a tail gunner in the Royal Canadian Air Force where he did about 32 missions. When he came back to Canada, he worked as a trainer for the Air Force in Boundary Bay, a former military airfield and communications station.
At the end of the night after all the celebrations and hurrahs, Harvey asked Copeland if he could call her sometime. She said yes, and told him where she worked, which was at the Pine Tree Nut Company, roasting nuts and making chocolates. In those days, Harvey would go down there to pick her up, buy some nuts, and they would go for a movie.
In October, they got engaged. Not long after that, on January 16, 1946, they got married. The couple lived in Vancouver for a few years before moving to Prince Rupert for a while, and then Quesnel. Along the way, growing their family with four kids over the years. In Quesnel, they opened a jewelry store, Quesnel Jewellers, which they ran for over 40 years before retiring and shutting it down.
Madeline and Harvey Copeland on their wedding day on January 16, 1946.
Their daughter, Debbie MacKenzie didn’t know many bits and pieces of this charming story of how they met before she started asking the right questions. After she found out, she mentioned in passing how her parents met on VJ Day on a blind date, and even her brother said “I didn’t know that!”
Copeland and Harvey currently live at the Mariposa Gardens Retirement and Care Community. Copeland lives in assisted living and Harvey is in extended care, which is in a separate building. The process of visiting is tedious but strict to ensure the highest precautions against COVID-19 are being taken. If Copeland goes over three times a day (which she often does), she has to go down and get screened three times a day. Still, Copeland makes the trek down long hallways and takes a ramp over to see her husband. These days when Copeland goes over to Harvey’s room, they usually spend time talking, and watching TV together.
Copeland looks back at her marriage with all its ups and downs, challenges and accomplishments, and doesn’t have a special ‘secret’ that made it work. “I think each one has to try to give a little bit. And sometimes it’s better to just bite your tongue and walk away. Also don’t go to bed angry,” she said as her advice to couples.
“They have always been an inspiration to me and an example of what a strong relationship is all about. Even now mom makes the trek over to the other section of Mariposa daily to make sure dad is taken care of, and each night she kisses him goodnight then heads back to her suite,” said MacKenzie
Though a grand 75th wedding anniversary isn’t possible with COVID-19 restrictions, MacKenzie said the family is planning a drive-by and also hoping to have a nice meal delivered to them to celebrate their achievement.
