To the editor,
Re: B.C.’s first female lieutenant-governor, Iona Campagnolo, dies at 91, April 5.
I met Iona Campagnolo just once. It was spring 2006. Campagnolo was lieutenant-governor and my wife, Elizabeth Shefrin, was nominated for a B.C. Book Award. The ceremony was held at Government House and presided over by the LG.
Elizabeth and I were about halfway down the line. Campagnolo came in and made her way steadily along, shaking hands and exchanging a few words. When she came to me, I held out my hand and said I was Bob Bossin. For the first time, Campagnolo stopped. She looked at me, rather mischievously I thought, and she said, “I was driving over the Malahat, listening to CBC, and I had to pull off the road, I was laughing so hard.” Then she sang – she actually sang – “It’s so nice not to be in Nanaimo.”
The lieutenant-governor, singing my song lyrics “It’s so nice not to be in Nanaimo.” I consider it one of the highlights of my career.
A codicil: Several years later I received a call from a young woman who was putting together a summer show about Nanaimo at the Port Theatre. She wanted to use my song, but added sheepishly, would I mind if they made a slight change in the lyric? You guessed it: they wanted to take out the word ‘not.’
I said sure.
Bob Bossin, Gabriola Island
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