The world feels a little bit smaller for one Vancouver Island resident after 13 family films were returned to their rightful owner a decade after they were accidentally sold during a yard sale in Kelowna.

Chris Wallinger was at his parents害羞草研究所� house for Mother害羞草研究所檚 Day and learned of a box of old Super 8 reels. The recordings, with the name Thompson and a Victoria address written on them, were included in a projector box that Wallinger害羞草研究所檚 grandmother bought 害羞草研究所�10 or 11 years ago害羞草研究所� at a garage sale in Kelowna. And, while the Wallinger family had always wanted to return the films, they never had the chance.

害羞草研究所淏ecause of quarantine life right now and having some extra time, [my mom] started going through boxes and that jogged her memory,害羞草研究所� Chris Wallinger says.

READ ALSO:

Wallinger snapped a couple of photos and posted his story on Reddit, where a someone quickly suggest he post it in a Facebook group called Old Victoria.

害羞草研究所淚 put it on Facebook at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and it just kind of blew up from there,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淏y 7 p.m. I was talking to two of the [daughters] of the parents who owned these tapes originally.害羞草研究所�

Taryn Jones, an archivist involved in genealogy research for almost 20 years, saw the post and thought, 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l just take a look and see if I can find anything.害羞草研究所�

Within half an hour, Jones found the death registration of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. Through Ancestry.com, Jones tracked down a relative who put Wallinger in contact with the family members on the Island.

READ ALSO:

害羞草研究所淚 just think about if someone had film from my family and they were trying to track me down, how I would feel if they contacted me,害羞草研究所� Jones says. 害羞草研究所淪o it was really exciting to confirm it was the right people and they were interested and that the films could go back.害羞草研究所�

Marion Baker was one of those family members. Her parent害羞草研究所檚 names were on the tapes and she says she was amazed to get the call from Wallinger.

害羞草研究所淚 just couldn害羞草研究所檛 believe that somebody would go to that much trouble to get them back to us and I害羞草研究所檓 so thankful,害羞草研究所� says Baker.

On Wednesday evening, outside of Wallinger害羞草研究所檚 parents害羞草研究所� home in north Nanaimo, both families met to hand back the films.

Baker害羞草研究所檚 parents were living in Enderby when her mother died in 1990. In the years following, her father moved back to Victoria but sold several items at a garage sale before his move. The recordings, which have videos of family vacations, Christmases and weddings from 1967 to 1981, are even more special to Baker as a lot of her family photos were lost to a fire at her sister害羞草研究所檚 house.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 excited because I know one of my sister害羞草研究所檚 wedding is on there and I missed it because we weren害羞草研究所檛 in the country at the time and one of my sister害羞草研究所檚 graduation and all these family trips that we heard about but had never seen any of the pictures,害羞草研究所� says Baker.

READ ALSO:

What makes this story even more unbelievable, is the cousin who Jones found on Ancestry.com, lives in Winnipeg and was doing his own research.

害羞草研究所淸Our] cousin 害羞草研究所� we just discovered, or he discovered us 害羞草研究所� about 10 years ago,害羞草研究所� says Baker. 害羞草研究所淗e had all this [family information] on Ancestry or we would have never have been found because none of us has the Thompson name anymore, we害羞草研究所檙e all girls.害羞草研究所�

Baker says her son is working on tracking down a Super 8 projector so the family can view the films before meeting with her other sister who lives on the Island as well. She says she can害羞草研究所檛 wait to share the films were her three other sisters, who live in Vernon.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e sort of cursing this virus that害羞草研究所檚 going around right now or I害羞草研究所檇 probably be on my way to Vernon,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a very small world when it comes down to it.害羞草研究所�

kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
Follow us on Instagram Like us on and follow us on .