An American
in Scugog

Canada and the U.S.A. share the longest border in the world and its peoples have been friends for more than 200 years - so it should come as no surprise that in addition to cross-border shopping, the two countries also share cross-border immigration.
This month Focus introduces you to one (we know there are more) of Scugog’s American transplants, Jim Papia, a stalky, masculine man with a southern drawl who hails from the southern city of Memphis, Tennessee. Jim arrived in Port Perry just over seven years ago after meeting and marrying his Canadian sweetheart.

Memphis!

The mere mention of this bustling city in the heart of Tennessee conjures up images of Elvis Presley, the world’s most popular rock ‘n roll star. And as the undisputed birthplace of rock ‘n roll and soul, Memphis is also home to the likes of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Justin Timberlake, Kathy Bates, Morgan Freeman and let’s not forget Jim Papia.

Jim Papia? You might ask, “Who the hell is Jim Papia?”

Well, Jim is a proud American who now lives far from his Memphis home on a small piece of acreage on the outskirts of Port Perry with his Canadian wife Hannah, working long, hard days to make a modest living as an arborist.

But Jim’s story begins long before he made the decision to migrate 1,700 km from his Tennessee birthplace to live in small-town Ontario.

Jim was born and raised in a middle-class Memphis neighbourhood with his parents and brother. His life was not unlike most young lads, who spent their time hanging out with friends and playing little league fastball. He also enjoyed hunting for quail and deer with his dad and grandfather.

“Momma had us outside all the time,” he recalled, adding “our street was always full of kids. We grew up together and graduated together.”

While attending school he picked up his first guitar and after a few lessons, learned to play by ear, honing his skills playing at local schools and parties. “Memphis has so much good talent,” he says and music is one of the things he misses most now that he’s living in Canada. “Almost every beer joint had bands playing on the weekends - music is just a part of life there,” he smiles.

He remembers fondly hanging out in the entertainment district and along Beale Street, listening to the sounds of blues, soul and rock music spilling through doors and windows of its many colourful and dimly lit bars.

Not unlike many of today’s youth, Jim had no idea what he wanted to do when he was growing up. “I rebelled after finishing high school knowing I didn’t want to be any part of public service.

This dislike came about partially from seeing his father spend 27 years as a police officer and police chief in Memphis. His grandfather was also a public servant - serving as a deputy fire chief for the city.

Admittedly a bit of a rebel, Jim started out working in factories and warehouses before landing a job with a tree service company. And while he never intended to stick it out for long, he found he enjoyed the job and working outside and stayed at it for five years.
After leaving, he jumped from job to job for the next few years, never being able to settle down. He didn’t like working inside, so eventually he returned to work in the tree service business.

This experience eventually led him to a position with the University of Memphis when a friend offered him a position as a tree trimmer for the school. It was during this time working at the university that he completed a course to become a certified arborist.
“I went from being a tree trimmer to a certified arborist,” he smiles, noting that he got a title, but didn’t get any more money.

During this same time, Jim supplemented his income working private jobs on the weekends. It was while working at the university he was approached by a young Canadian woman, Hannah Scott, a professor in the Department of Criminology who asked if he would do some work at her home.

“I had long hair below my shoulders and a ‘Fu Manchu moustache,” he said, as he traced his fingers along the side of his mouth to show its length. But it seems his scruffy appearance had not deterred the young Canadian, so he agreed to do the work.

“From the beginning I was intrigued by her,” he smiles. “She was pretty, easy to talk to and we enjoyed similar music tastes.” It was apparent that Hannah also took a liking to this young “Memphian” as she provided him her business card on three occasions, with her private home number scrawled on the back.

But it took Jim almost a year before he called her for a date which was to include dinner and a concert. That was in September 2002, but unfortunately, due to strong winds and rain, the result of a hurricane passing through the area, the concert was cancelled so they settled for dinner in an Italian restaurant.

Three months later Hannah asked Jim if he would consider moving to Canada with her, if she accepted a new job posting in southern Ontario. Jim knew she (Hannah) was the woman he wanted to be with so there was no hesitation with his answer.
“In a heartbeat,” he told her.

He wasn’t concerned about getting work, loved to travel and felt the move would be a good opportunity.
Hannah accepted the offer of an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Science at the soon to be opened University of Ontario Institute of Technology and the search began for a new home in Canada.

After completing an interview in Oshawa at the UOIT in March, Hannah rented a car and drove to Port Perry to search for a new home. At a local pub in town the owner introduced her to a real estate agent who eventually found a house in Prince Albert they liked.

The next couple of months were a whirlwind. They purchased the house five days after the viewing... were married on May 10 at a private ‘family and friends’ wedding on the family’s country property outside of Memphis... packed up all their belongings... moved to Canada and into their new home by the end of May.

After working for about a year in Pickering and saving his money, Jim decided it was time to start his own business. He placed a few ads in the local newspapers with only his old “rust-free” Tennessee 1993 Chev pickup and a trailer - TREEriffic Tree Service was born.
Fifteen months after landing in Canada, this “landed irritant,” as Hannah refers jokingly to her husband, acquired his ‘residency permit’ and is now in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen.

Two years ago the couple moved from their Prince Albert home and now live on a 35 acre parcel of land on the northern edge of Port Perry abutting the Nonquon Conservation Area.

Jim has embraced Canada and what it has to offer. And for a guy who had very little contact with snow, Jim loves the winter. So far he has conquered ice skates and has set his eye on learning to ski in the future.

As for the future Jim just can’t see himself moving back to the USA. “The quality of life here is superb - we just absolutely have it all.”
Welcome to Canada Jim!

By J. Peter Hvidsten
Focus on Scugog