The Legend of John Drenka
Director: Helmut Manzl
Starring: John Drenka, Pat Brennan and Al Mackintosh
Every town has them. They were here before you and they have stories that will amaze, stories that will leave you in stitches, and more than a few stories that would land people in a heap of trouble. They're the pioneers, the old boys, and they're most certainly legends. In Squamish one of the granddaddy legends is John Drenka, a.k.a. JD.
Last Saturday the Squamish Historical Society celebrated its fifth year by hosting the world premiere of The Legend of John Drenka. It was a great event with a capacity crowd and the SHS even made a few dollars to help give the logbooks a permanent home at the Railway Park.
For those of you just joining us, to hear the story of JD is to hear the story of the logging industry in Squamish. He was literally logging here with a horse, before machines. He followed the industry and was keen on being the first to try new machines, to roaring success. With such boom times, he was also pivotal in starting the Rotary Club, the curling rink, golf course and swimming pool.
The film mostly features JD sitting in his office regaling us with adventures from his past. Some of the best stories are about his business partner who is also a legend in these parts, Pat Brennan (of Brennan Park Leisure Centre fame). Then there are family members and friends telling stories, mixed with some great archival photos.
But was the film any good? Well, it didn't have any vampires or pop-culture talking animals, so right there it is easily one of the best I've seen in a while. And at the end credits, it is almost impossible not to smile while thinking of all the great stories JD could only tell once the cameras stopped rolling.
