Superman isn't always disguised as a reporter, sometimes he's a principal.
Gene Genereux, who lives with an intellectual disability, is a man of routine and one of his favourite outings is going for a morning coffee at the A&W on the Trans-Canada Highway near Cowichan Secondary School. On the morning of Feb. 3 around 7:30 a.m., Genereux made the trek through the blustery winds, and blanket of snow that Mother Nature provided for what was also the first day that doors opened at the new Quw'utsun School.
"It was snowing like hell that morning," said Genereux.
Genereux has been living with his sister Pauline Jackson in Duncan where they were both born, since the 1970s.
After his morning java the jaunt back home was anything joyful. Genereux made his way past the Cowichan Secondary gym. While some of the details are a little fuzzy, Genereux said after coming across an icy spot on a speed bump near the school he slipped, losing his balance and falling head first.
"I didn't feel too good when I took that fall," said Genereux. "It took me a while to get back up. My tuque went flying and I lost my little flashlight. I held onto the walls of the school to try to make my way to the main doors."
Principal Scott Jackson, who was opening the main gates to where the buses are loaded, noticed Genereux and swiftly came to his aid, contacting emergency response on his behalf. Genereux was taken to Cowichan District Hospital by ambulance and after an assessment from doctors he was diagnosed with a concussio, and small skull fracture. His sister Pauline was contacted and she met him at the hospital where he stayed for 17 days.
The gratitude that both Gene and Pauline feel towards Jackson cannot be stressed enough.
Genereux, who turns 74 in May, spent several years cleaning the grounds around the Cowichan Community Centre for an honorarium under a contract with North Cowichan, and decided to use some of his savings from his pension to purchase an award for Jackson. The award was designed by Clark's Engraving in Duncan. Genereux and Pauline met him at the school on the afternoon of April 2 to present him with the award, a heartwarming gesture that really was a surprise.
"To give him an award for what he did for me feels pretty good," said Genereux.
"If it wasn't for Mr. Jackson, my brother wouldn't be here today," said Pauline. "I hugged him when I first met him and told him you're my hero."
"It means a lot to me to receive this award, but mostly it means a lot to just see Gene healthy because that morning was very scary, and he wasn't in very good shape," said Jackson. "So, it just makes me so happy to see him happy, healthy and walking around."
