The phone is ringing almost every day, each time with a clock that needs repair, and a profound personal story to match.
A cuckoo clock that was the sound of a woman鈥檚 childhood, a grandfather clock built by a deceased friend 鈥 each machine waiting for someone who could bring it back to life.
Ukranian watchmaker Liudmyla Pass has discovered that her skills are in high demand in Newfoundland and Labrador upon arriving to the province in November.
Since Pass moved to be with her daughter in Canada, Yulia Veretennyk, and her grandchildren in the town of Chapel鈥檚 Cove, she has taken on numerous jobs in the province 鈥 including a century-old clock tower in the town of Carbonear that had been silent for decades.
鈥淚t's always interesting for her,鈥 Veretennyk says, translating for her Ukranian-speaking mother. 鈥淚t's always new stories, story of someone's life, story of the clock. It鈥檚 different all the time.鈥
Veretennyk has made a Facebook page advertising her mother鈥檚 services, and is getting requests for help from as far away as the town of Gander 鈥 almost 300 kilometres down the Trans-Canada Highway.
鈥淪he鈥檚 very happy because of that,鈥 Veretennyk said. 鈥淪he always waits for [a] new clock to come.鈥
Liudmyla Pass is seen at 18 years old fixing watches and clocks in the Ukranian town of Verkhnyodniprovsk. (Submitted by Yulia Veretennyk)
It all started with a Facebook post. In October, the Carbonear Heritage Society 鈥 which now occupies the old post office building in the community 鈥 wished in writing that the building鈥檚 old clock tower would work again in 2025 for its 120th birthday.
Veretennyk saw the post and encouraged her parents to urvey the building, thinking it would occupy some time for the couple who had just recently arrived to the country, and were worried about being bored.
鈥淢y father always complained that he will be bored here, he will have nothing to do and they will be bored and they will stay for two weeks and go back home,鈥 she said.
In fact, the repairs only took Pass a few hours, something she attributes to her 52-years of experience fixing clocks and watches in Ukraine. She said a mix of rust and salt from the ocean air had jammed the machine.
Her work is earning rave reviews.
鈥淭o actually see it working, it was absolutely wonderful,鈥 said Sam Slade, the deputy mayor of the town of Carbonear.
鈥淚t was the time of the year, too, when it all happened, just before Christmas, so I refer to it as a great Christmas gift to the residents of Carbonear.鈥
Slade estimates it had been between 60 and 70 years since the clock had reliably worked.
Now, the Carbonear Heritage Society will have someone wind and clean the clock every few days to keep it functional.
Veretennyk said her mom was fascinated by clocks ever since she was a child 鈥 observing them with a sense of wonder.
鈥淪he was always trying to understand how the clock works," Veretennyk said. "She thought that it's some witches who fix the clocks like this is some magic. She never knew that people study this profession.鈥
She started a business in Ukraine at 17 fixing clocks, and now, at 68, will seemingly be resuming her work in Canada.
鈥淎lmost every day I have messages, and a few messages every weekend,鈥 Veretennyk said. 鈥淭omorrow we have a meeting, and Sunday we have a meeting and the next weekend we have meetings.鈥
With files from the Canadian Press
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