Post-University - Reg starts over in Toronto

After the bust, Reg had decided that there was nothing for him in the Maritimes, and he wanted to move to Toronto.  In Toronto, Reg would feel at home, as he had access to music and culture that was not readily available in Eastern Canada, and with a booming economy, there was a better chance of finding work, even with his record. 

Reg moved to downtown Toronto, in an area that was on the edge of a very tough housing project, Jamestown, although so far as we know, Reg was never affected by violence.  Down the street, there was a famous Toronto strip club, and another block away, was a major motorcycle club, possibly the Hells Angels, or whatever club dominated the area.  I guess the presence of the Motorcycle Club helped to keep crime down in that particular area.

Reg worked for Broy Engineering in Etobicoke, assembling and testing electronic components.  Toronto has a great public transit system, but from where Reg lived, his commute to work was often an hour or more, which was tough on him, as he was also balancing college courses at times.  Reg stuck with it though, which impressed me.

I moved to Toronto in Dec. 1987 and was able to see him fairly often at that time as he was about a 15-20 minute walk from my apartment. He lived in a single room in a boarding house with a shared kitchen. Looking back, I would not say that the conditions were good, but he was starting out, and he seemed to be making a go of it; he definitely had a very modest lifestyle.

Reggie took a course in Technical Writing, at Ryerson College, and received a Diploma. I had never heard of this line of study, but I did meet technical writers when I worked in Silicon Valley, over a decade later. There wasn’t much demand for Technical Writers when Reg graduated, but from what I learned about the need for good technical writers, I think he was about a decade ahead of the demand for that skill.

After some time, he enrolled in the Trebas Institute, where he took a course to become a Recording Engineer. He worked part-time while going to school, and successfully completed the program. Unfortunately, he was not able to find a job in the field, which was a passion of his.

I don't know much about his drug use during this period, but I don't believe that it was excessive.  I believe that he had used marijuana, hash, and on a few occasions, LSD, but I don't know if he was involved in cocaine or heroin.  I am assuming that he did not abuse heavily, given his ability to hold his job, and also perform well at school.

Eventually, he moved to Moncton, New Brunswick where he took a course in Avionics (aircraft electronics), and to be with his future wife, and their young son.