Happy anniversary to longtime New Westminster residents Don and Evelyn Benson who are celebrating a marital milestone.
The couple went steady through high school and was engaged for more than a year before they tied the knot on Aug. 26, 1953 at a wedding attended by more than 400 guests. Evelyn's lace wedding dress was a copy of Queen Elizabeth's 1952 coronation gown.
"They said it wouldn't last - the marriage back in 1953 between the opera-singing mayor's daughter from up the hill, and the unpolished, rough-andready kid from a downtown tenement," said an email from the family. "But they were wrong."
Family members gather each summer for a get-together at the Bensons' 10-acre waterfront property at Keats Island on the Sunshine Coast. This year's festivities included an anniversary celebration.
During their marriage, the Bensons raised five children in a house that has been in the family for five generations. They now have nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Through the decades, Don and Evelyn have been active in cultural events in the city, such as helping to form the Royal City Musical Theatre Company, founding a First Night celebration on New Year's Eve and writing newspaper columns and books.
Evelyn was named New Westminster's Citizen of the year in 1992 and was also awarded the Lescarbot Award for her "contributions to Canadian culture." Don, who was named poet laureate for the City of New Westminster in 2000 and poet laureate emeritus (a lifetime appointment) in 2007, is a recipient of the British Columbia Community Achievement Award from Victoria.
Don has also made a mark in the athletic realm, having been named Mr. Sport for his many contributions to lacrosse and soccer starting back in 1962. In the 1990s, the couple organized the Royal City Track and Field Club and in 2007 Don spearheaded the New West Spartans Track and Field Club.
The Bensons not only got things going behind the scenes, but they've been active participants in sports and cultural activities themselves. Evelyn, a coloratura soprano, represented the city at musical festivals and received many trophies, and later sang and acted in theatrical productions at Massey Theatre; Don began competing in masters track and field competitions in 2003, winning many awards.
