Reg gets a job in Sales

Somewhere around 2033, Reg was living in Oshawa, a suburb of Toronto, and had found a job selling advertising sales for a local newsparer, Metroland.

For those of us who knew Reg, this was extremely surprising, since he was a very quiet guy, and the last type of job that you would ever expect that he would be working in, would be sales.  Although the job did not pay well, Reg was doing OK in the role.

He was living in a boarding house, and had a good relationship with his landlord.  My family spoke to her a few times and had the impression that she cared for Reggie's well being and was a very nice person.

Reggie gets arrested in Toronto

One weekend, I was trying to reach Reggie, and I found out from someone that had answered the phone, that Reggie had been arrested by the Metropolitan Toronto Police. 

I made some calls and found a nice Police Officer who told me the details of what had happened. 

He broke into a city facility and attempted to steal some tools and supplies.  He was charged and convicted. 

I wrote in the following email and sent to my parents.  In the email, Reg's cocaine problem is referenced, but we suspect that it was probably an issue with heroin, since that requires much more money to support, and we know that he had this as an addiction issue; however, it may very well have been a cocaine problem:

Reg entered into a plea deal, and the following document relates to that agreement.  He was basically let go on probation, and required to participate in a treatment program.

Despite it all, Reg still had a sense of humour

I was living in San Francisco during this time period, and a few times I was able to fly into Toronto and visit him. 

It was always good to see Reggie.  I could see that he was struggling, but he was happy, and my wife and I tried to help him as much as we could.  We bought him a laptop computer so that he could learn how to use various types of programs, write and to educate himself.

If one was to call Reggie during this timeframe, and get his answering machine, you might get a message like this:

Script message for his answering machine:

“you have reached my answering machine, if you would like:

to receive verbal abuse – press 1;

to make a racist remark – press 2;

to adopt a puppy – press 3;

to get directions to the nearest liquor store – press 4;

to donate blood – press 5;

to confess your sins – press 6;

for information on how to deposit money into my bank account – press 7;

to arrange a discrete private visit with a clergyman – press 8;

to be forwarded to the gay and lesbian hotline – press 9;

to volunteer for medical experiments – press 0

Things were looking up until 9/11

After the kidnapping, Reg had decided that it would be both safer and easier to find work in Toronto, than to remain in PEI, where he was shunned. 

Reg was able to find a job working at the Toronto Island Airport, shortly after his arrival in the Spring.  Although it was not an Avionics position, it was a good paying job, and he had hoped to eventually be able to transition to an Avionics role.

When 9/11 happened, Reg's world would change.  Starting in early Fall, the Airport tightened up its hiring procedures and evaluated all staff.  Reg was ultimately terminated, not for performance, but due to the fact that he had a criminal record, and would therefore be viewed as a security risk.

Reg was devastated, and tried to look for work elsewhere, but was unsuccessful.  This was probably one of the major turning points for him in the last years of his life.

The following is a draft letter from that time period:

Draft Letter to employer?

Dear Jack:

Hi! How are you?  I hope all is well.  I am writing to you to inquire / plead, beg, about the availability of short (?) term employment which, so far, has eluded?  It seems to me, and I have spoken to several other crew members, that we are being …  [end of writing]