70-year-old letter uncovered from antique desk in New Brunswick
After purchasing an old desk on the Facebook marketplace, antique hunter Gail Duffy did not anticipate the story that would come with it.
“I pulled it out the other week and started cleaning it, and when I took it apart, tucked away in the back corner I found this little piece of paper," she said.
The paper turned out to be a 70-year-old letter, which appears to be written by a father to his daughter, Margaret, and grandson Edward.
Duffy said the letter dated January 9, 1951, is from Thomas Kervin to Miss Margaret Kervin.
“When I started to read it, my daughter popped over and she said this is so cool, we should try to find the original owners," said Duffy.
“I carefully took it out of the envelope because I knew it was brittle. Then I read it and thought this is really neat, it’s like a day in the life of somebody from 70 years ago."
The letter explains that Thomas is travelling from St. Johns, N.L. and that he hopes to be home at the end of the month and expects to be gone for a week or 10 days.
In an effort to find the family of the man who wrote the letter, Duffy and her daughter posted it on a local Facebook group.
By the end of the day, she found out whom the letter was addressed to. It turned out that the woman whom she had purchased the desk from was Margaret’s sister-in-law and has since passed away.
Margaret’s sister-in-law told Duffy to keep the letter.
"Then this week this other lady reached out to me and said she was the granddaughter," said Duffy. "I said, if you’d like the letter, you’re welcome to it and she said I’d love to have it."
Duffy plans to mail the letter off this week to the writer’s granddaughter, giving her a little piece of her family's history.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.