Beachburg

Debbie Knechtel

Let’s welcome our neighbour, Debbie Knechtel.

Hi, Debbie! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! I’m Debbie Knechtel, and I grew up as a “base brat.” My dad was an Air Force pilot, so we moved often. As a child, I lived in Chicoutimi, PQ; Moose Jaw, SK; Yellowknife, NWT; Dartmouth, NS; and Comox, BC. I’m so glad I got to experience so much of our beautiful countryside, as we are really lucky to live in Canada. I then moved to Victoria, BC, to go to UVIC.

I moved to Petawawa in my 20’s. After a couple of years, I planned to head back west when a friend sent me to walk her dog. She also sent my now-husband to walk the dog — a blind meet-up. We married in 1992, cancelling our summer wedding to get married earlier, thanks to the end of the Gulf War. Married on a Friday the 13th, he left 2 weeks later for Kuwait. Welcome to military life.

We purchased our little home in Beachburg (also on a Friday the 13th) on his return and have lived here ever since. His career was being posted from unit to unit on base Petawawa, so it feels like this is home now. Beachburg is an amazing community that has supported me over the years when my husband was deployed or away with the military. It was a great place to raise our three children, who have now spread their wings as adults.

I worked at the daycare at the PMFRC on base. Once I had my first child, I chose to stay home, but friends asked if I would watch their kids. Before I knew it, I was running a home daycare. I just retired my daycare after 32 years of watching little ones. My husband is also medically retired after 32 years of military service. I enjoyed making homemade cards, and I sold them in a local store for years. If I wasn’t watching kids or at my craft desk, I was in the kitchen baking. I love trying new recipes. I also do recipe testing for food blogs when needed.

As a child and teen, my parents instilled in me the virtue of giving back and volunteering. I took part in Key Club (secretary), jazz choir, jazz band (played clarinet and oboe), school council, and helped out with other clubs and community events.  As an adult, I have always tried to find time to volunteer. I was a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the junior fair co-chair for the Beachburg Fair for a few years. I set up a “mom & me” group in Beachburg, ran the junior curling program in Pembroke for three years, volunteered at Festival Hall regularly for nine years, and helped out at many community events.

Since retiring, we have travelled a bit to Iceland, Southeast Asia, BC, NS, some local destinations, and more. We are hoping for more amazing trips in our future. Life is now giving back to family members and helping out as much as we can.

Here are a few more things about me. I collect cobalt blue glass pieces and love vintage kitchen tools. Some of my favourite things are kayaking, being on the water, card games with friends and family, reading books, all types of crafting, and playing badminton. I love the arts (theatre, music, dance, opera, symphony), unexpected road trips, and bird-watching. I have a little book library on my property. Meeting new people is always fun.

My motto is to be kind, smile, and say “hi” to a stranger. You can meet the most amazing people if you do.

Thanks for reading. If you feel inclined, I just turned 60 and would love it if you could drop a can or two at the local food bank — a charity I love to support.

What’s the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

Okay, so this needs a bit of a backstory. Growing up, my family seemed to always prank someone at Christmas. Sometimes, the pranks were small — a garbage can filled with junk food for the snacker, or sometimes they were grand, like this one.

I was married and living in Beachburg. My dad had been out to visit that summer, and little did I know he had planned a great prank on me for the upcoming Christmas. My younger brother had been out to visit a few years earlier and called me a hillbilly because our village was so small and rural. Fast forward a year, and he gets married and buys a house with a chicken coop. I pronounced that he was now the hillbilly. Well, my dad decided to put us on even playing ground.

I woke up Christmas morning to see a big sign on my garage door saying, “Do not open until Dec 25.” I thought my husband had bought me a new dishwasher, so I was excited to check it out. To my surprise, I opened up the garage to find six chickens flying around and a baby pig in a carrier with a heat lamp. I was not laughing in the moment, but my three kids loved that Christmas morning so much. He got me good!

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

My list is long. The world has so many fascinating places, but these are my top two right now. The first one would be Newfoundland because it’s the only province I have not been to.

The second one would be Easter Island. I am just fascinated by places like this, where larger-than-life sculptures were built by humans at such a grand scale before technology. I’ve heard the food is amazing there, and you can rent a vehicle and tour the island on your own.

Do you have any phobias? What are they?

I am quite claustrophobic, especially if it is a tight space that is also dark. I’m also scared of heights to some degree, mostly because I’m clumsy and lose my balance.

What was the worst style choice you ever made?

I was an ‘80s teenager, so I would say many of our choices were questionable. I think this was the worst. It was my boyfriend’s graduation, and I wore a white lace dress with a red satin belt, white nylons, red shoes, and a white lace hat with a red ribbon. He wore a white tux with red accents and drove a white Mustang with a red interior. What were we thinking? lol  

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

I guess the two weirdest things would be alligator in Florida and fermented shark in Iceland.

Who is the best-known celebrity you have ever seen in person?

I have met quite a few celebrities over the years, including Toller Cranston, Gowan, Glass Tiger, Rik Emmett, Kevin Martin and his team, Brett Kissel, Dan Hill, Andy Kim, Carla Collins, Jason Blaine, and more. Working at a musical venue and also volunteering at events opens opportunities.

My best-known celebrity would be Pamela Anderson. I went to school with her (she is a year younger). I am actually in her documentary in a couple of teenaged pictures of me, Pamela, and a mutual friend who is still her best friend.

Are you a cat or a dog person? Why?

I am 100% a cat person. I love cats. They are easy to care for and are constant entertainment. A cat’s purr takes all the stress away.

What would be your trademark karaoke song?

“Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin or “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé.

You’ve just won the lottery. What will you do with your windfall?

I would help my kids buy homes or pay off student debt, do some needed repairs to our home, and travel more. I would set up a bursary for a local kid each year and help local charities. My day-to-day life would not change.

If you could use a time machine to travel to any time, past or future, what era would you visit? Why?

I would go back to a few years before my mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s — late ‘80s, early ‘90s. I would ask her more questions about our family’s French Canadian heritage and history, tips for being a mom, and how to make Grandma’s recipes.  Alzheimer’s means you lose them twice, once with the initial diagnosis and the other when they leave this earth.

Thanks for sharing with us, neighbour Debbie.

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Next week, we welcome Candice Goldberg.