“I don’t ever see it stopping unless he’s handicapped”

[00:00:09] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to what's your story? Threads of human experience, a podcast that weaves meaningful memories, unexpected lessons, and unforgettable encounters. I'm your host, Tammy Samuel, and in this episode we're going to head north on McLeod Trail. I was born and raised in the south of Calgary. On my drives downtown there's one spot I always look for. It's brief and fleeting as I ride 80 plus kilometers an hour, but if it's there, it always catches my eye. It's just to the right side of the highway on a hill before I coast under the canyon Meadows drive overpass. There every once in a while, is a giant heart with letters in all caps, s a n right under the a d. I always assumed it was a tribute to someone named Sandy. But who was this Sandy? And who is the devoted artist coming back to sculpt these messages over the years? Keep your eyes peeled. It's a cold Monday in early March. Snow still covers the grass, but it's no longer on the roads. I'm in the car with my friend Malaika Gonovu when the latest message comes into view. This time there's a sunshade beside Sandy's heart. Walking in jeans and a jacket, you know, shuffling in the snow and I was like, oh, that's the guy who does it. I couldn't shake the curiosity any longer. Surely I wasn't the only one who noticed them. A quick Internet search led me to a thread in the Calgary subreddit, but it was seven years old. The original post is it a memorial of some kind? [00:01:52] Speaker B: Love lost, love gained? Im genuinely curious, as the tenacity of this individual is amazing. [00:01:58] Speaker A: In the comments I learned it was a man expressing his love for his very much alive wife named Sandy, and apparently hes spoken to different local news outlets in the past. So I went to the databases, but I didnt find anything on the canadian news stream or Calgary Herald online. And so began my quest to find him. I needed to know what would drive a man to make a grand gesture even greater by repeating it tirelessly. Who are you and what can you teach me about love and dedication? Diving deeper in my search, I reached out to nearby neighborhoods through the Nextdoor app, asking for any leads on the couple or stories from those who've witnessed the big love notes. While waiting for comments, I planned my ground investigation. It's now Wednesday evening, two weeks later, and I step out of the car at the nearby Toyota dealer and make a beeline for the overpass. The crisp air carries a chill and the sun glows dim low on the horizon. There's enough traffic on canyon Meadows drive that I hesitate crossing the overpass with no path that leads to the hill. It's awkward to get to if you're not here before dawn. Rumor has it the artist comes out in the late hours of the night and that's when I spot footprints in the snow. They stray at an abrupt angle from the sidewalk and stop at the curb, pointing straight to the embankment. A jaywalker soon I find myself at the bottom of the hill, a fresh heart carved into the snow with sandys name. I also noticed, 20 paces away from the design, a clear impression of a dropped shovel. Back on nextdoor, the communitys responses poured in, and interestingly, most of them came from women in nearby neighborhoods. Suzanne in Milrise said, someone goes and writes it every time it snows. For at least five years that I've lived in Mill rice, Pam in Shaughnessy I have also seen it in the summer, sometimes with red construction tape. Sandy is one lucky lady. Carrie in Sundance now that you mentioned this, I have noticed for as long as we have lived in Sundance, 14 years. Kathy in Shaughnessy this man has been doing this for every occasion for at least 30 years. God love him. I think it would be a wonderful story. We need something heartwarming for a change. Tracy in Shaughnessy it makes me smile. [00:04:43] Speaker C: Every time and reminds me that a grand gesture can still be made in such a crazy world. My friend used to think it was from a brother that lost his sister. I think the cool thing about that, though, is that it gets us all thinking about Sandy instead of the crazy traffic or commute. [00:04:59] Speaker A: Neighbors mostly shared their admiration, speculation and curiosity. After chatting on next door, I spoke to one of the women, Alyssa Morell, remotely. [00:05:12] Speaker D: It's just this testament to undying love. It's just so nice to see someone so openly and powerfully expressing their love for another person. And I always get excited when I see a new one and I always point it out to my kids when we drive by and, you know, we talk about it. So I don't know, it's just such a feel good thing. [00:05:35] Speaker A: Finally, a better lead. Doug Britton from Sundance had my next clue. [00:05:40] Speaker E: Treasure hunt. They can be found in a church south of Stoney trail that starts with. [00:05:44] Speaker A: An s. Okay, Doug, I'm on it. [00:05:46] Speaker E: He's actually a bit of a villain to husband south of Canyon Meadows, making us all look bad. Fortunately, I was able to convince my wife to change her name to Sandy. [00:05:54] Speaker A: Took off a lot of pressure easily enough. I searched churches in Google maps and looked south of the 201. Two came up that started with an s. Later I get an email sharing the full names of Sandy and her husband. It could be promising, but there's little to verify their claim. A search only reveals a 411 page for a Calgary man. Since I can't confirm it's them, I focus on emailing south winds and Southview alliance church. Believe it or not, as I'm writing to them, I get another ping. On next door, Beverlynne Shaughnessy mentions she's heard the man speak at Southview alliance. Perhaps my search is over. A few days later, I receive an email. It reads, hi Tammy. Smiley face. My name is Shane, the person you are looking for. About the heart on the hill. Sandy is my bride and very, very, very best friend. With another smiley face, he ends off by saying they are happy to meet with me. It's a week later and I can't believe I'm sitting right across from Shane and Sandy, basin themselves. They're in their late sixties, but with bright faces and a youthful presence. Shane sports a stylish khakifadora with feather accents. Sandy rocks a stunning platinum pixie cut. They're wearing matching black button ups and dark blue denim. If you don't get the picture by now, they're pretty stylish. Shane takes us back to the beginning. [00:07:23] Speaker B: I was driving and I saw a guy do this years ago, many, many years ago. And I thought, I'm gonna do it. And I. So I went up onto where you sit on McLeod trail in Canyon Meadows. And I put a heart in with Sandy. And then I called her up and I said, sandy, go check the hill out. And I told her where. And then she went and checked it and she loved it. So I said, if you don't like that, I'll go up and stomp it out. She said, no, you just leave it alone. I've been doing it, yeah, ever since. [00:07:48] Speaker A: I was wondering if you could walk us through your process, Shane. So when do you decide you're gonna go out there? [00:07:54] Speaker B: Over 20 some years. I've done it lots because I want to get up there. At first, I didn't want anybody else getting up there because it became our hill. And one time a guy did get up and he did somebody else's name and Sandy went, you get up there and stomp it out. I said, I can't do that. She said, it's her hill. [00:08:11] Speaker D: It's lots of hill. [00:08:12] Speaker B: But yeah, every time it snows, that's when I go up, and then I'll go up on special occasions in the summer and fall when it's our anniversary. And then instead of the snow, then I take steaks, make a heart, and I put ribbon on. [00:08:24] Speaker A: Shane reveals his ritual, getting to the hill between four and 05:00 a.m. It takes him about 30 minutes to craft his heart, depending on its intricacy. He hands me a collection of photographs showcasing his creations. The designs vary wildly. Some hearts are spray painted pink. Another is surrounded by balloons. The rest are often paired with happy faces or sons or love views. A few aren't even on the hill, but from the couple's travel destinations or in Sandy's parking spot at work. Sometimes they're so special, he has to call his wife out of bed to see them immediately. [00:08:59] Speaker B: I rented a generator, and I took Christmas lights up to light the outside of the heart, and I pumped this thing up and it worked. I was like this, come on. Like, I felt pretty good about it. And then I thought, but now I can't leave the generator here because I was renting it. So then I had to call Sandy. [00:09:15] Speaker D: She came six in the morning, went and saw it, and then he took down, and I took it back. [00:09:19] Speaker A: And on one Valentine's day, he called her down to the hill from the inside of a gift wrapped fridge box. [00:09:25] Speaker B: So she looked and there was this big box. And then she came down and lifted it. Up she goes, I knew you were in there. [00:09:33] Speaker A: What started as a romantic gesture blossomed into a local phenomenon. [00:09:37] Speaker B: Yeah, I've been honked at all the time, but in a good way. They're just honking and they see what I'm doing. One time, I actually had a police officer stop, and he took his big light. You know the lights they have, and he shone it at me, and I just went like this. Whoa. And I waved at him. And then he drove away. I was like. [00:09:53] Speaker A: Shane's friends often tease him when they notice he missed a snowfall. But those times are few and far between. So what keeps you motivated to continue this beautiful gesture? [00:10:02] Speaker B: Sammy? [00:10:03] Speaker A: Simple as that. Except 27 years ago, it might not have been. That was when they first sat face to face in a diner. Both had weathered divorces and were brought together by a mutual friend. [00:10:15] Speaker B: We call it winning. In the next round, Sandy and I met at Humpty's restaurant on McLeod trail. Both of us had gone through a divorce, so it was really painful and very hard. But it was that moment when I saw her the first time in Humpty's and I just. I was like, aw. And I was kind of bugged because she was beautiful. And then she understood what I was going through. I wasn't ready for that. And then I called my friends, my brother in law specifically, and he said, are you going to see her again? I go, no, I can't do this because of what happened, right? And he called me and he said, if you don't call her up again, I'm gonna fly from the States and I'm gonna kick your butt. And that's what I needed. And literally I called her. And the next time, you know, everything got better. And so she's my angel. Sandy's my angel. So why do I do this? There's lots of reasons. But God gave me an angel to just love me. And life has been so good since. Honest, just wonderful. [00:11:09] Speaker A: A week later, I'm on the phone with Shane's close friend, Doug Webb. [00:11:13] Speaker F: Well, in some respects, it was very much who Shane is and what he's about. He's not at all afraid to let people know who Sandy is and why she's so special. They work very hard at their relationship and their love for each other. So seeing that Shane was up at 04:00 in the morning, out in the cold, stomping this out on the hill was not real surprising to me. [00:11:49] Speaker A: And Doug explains that what started as something for Sandy has grown into something more. They've spoken at marriage conferences these days. They counsel other couples who want to get married. [00:11:59] Speaker F: If you can put mold and compassion in that situation. He's very caring and he just wants to help people and be part of their lives, but often done in a quiet way. [00:12:14] Speaker A: And when it comes to the hearts on the hill, I don't ever see. [00:12:18] Speaker F: It stopping unless he's handicapped. [00:12:22] Speaker A: If Shane can get up to Sandy's hill every snowfall for 27 years, I can do it once. So along with my boyfriend, that's what we did. At five on this mid April morning, since there's no snow, Shane's brought bright pink fluorescent tape, two bags of flour and plastic stakes his son in law no longer needs. He describes a typical early morning. [00:12:44] Speaker B: I'm waking up, it's chilly, but I just kind of. I'm trying to figure out what to do. And so I go, what would work? And then I just hope Sandy really likes it, right? And I pray, I pray, I say, God, give me some creative ideas. But it's fun. It's fun to try new things and. Cause she likes it, right? [00:13:09] Speaker A: Shane pulls a couple stakes and starts pushing them into the ground. [00:13:13] Speaker B: Oh, yes. It works. It sticks. I was thinking it was going to be frozen, but. All right. So now I just kind of mark it out. Now make the heart what I think it might look like. Yeah, let's try that. So this goes here. That should do it. There. There's four. So now I'm just gonna. Yeah, so, see? So I just kind of. I don't know, kind of try to make a heart with these going in 1234. That's about it. [00:13:52] Speaker A: In just under four minutes, Shane laid his heart out. [00:13:55] Speaker B: And next I go around with all these ribbons. There's surveying tape. That's all it is, right? But I found it one day, and I thought, hey, that could work. And it's kind of fluorescent, right? When it gets to here, it just gets a little trickier. [00:14:14] Speaker A: But I stand in amazement as I watch Shane zip around the stakes with the tape three times. He has it down to a science. [00:14:24] Speaker B: I feel accomplishment. You know, something that works kind of feels good. Okay, so there's three. That's better. There we go. All right, one more. It's kind of nice. Sometimes the sun will come up. Hey. And it's kind of a cool how it looks. Okay, I'll just tighten these up. Okay. [00:14:56] Speaker A: Beautiful. [00:14:58] Speaker B: Gonna have a look at it. You want to come down? [00:15:00] Speaker A: Yeah. How does it feel to see your designs come to shape? [00:15:04] Speaker B: It's pretty good, actually. Oh, that one worked good. Look it. See? See how the three. [00:15:10] Speaker A: What a perfect heart. [00:15:11] Speaker B: I have to see. I have to mark out. I step off two sides, and sometimes the bottom of the arc doesn't work. Good, but that's not bad. [00:15:20] Speaker A: Not bad. [00:15:21] Speaker B: Yeah. So now I'm gonna do some flour, and we'll see what I can do. Okay. White flour. [00:15:35] Speaker A: So you're just gonna pour it? [00:15:37] Speaker B: Well, I'm gonna try to make a little one in the middle, and then I might do a big one. Way out. Bigger yet, I'm not sure, but I'm gonna try one first. [00:15:49] Speaker A: How long does it stay, like, visible? [00:15:51] Speaker B: Well, if it rains now, this gets crusty, the main part, and it lasts quite a while. So, yeah, it's kind of neat. [00:16:01] Speaker A: Just a few minutes later, he's finished. Yes. I'm so thrilled. I can't believe I witnessed that. [00:16:08] Speaker B: Well, great. Well, we'll see how it is in the sun. You know, sometimes you can't really see it, but. But the fluorescent stands out. Hey. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So then I usually just take a picture, and then I'll even. I just kind of do a quick video walking up. And then I send that to Sandy. Tell her I love her. Right? [00:16:26] Speaker A: Shane pulls out his phone. [00:16:28] Speaker B: But see here, look, Tammy. See? And then I get the lights come in and even the car lights sometimes. That cool? [00:16:36] Speaker A: That is gorgeous. [00:16:37] Speaker B: So it's just a. [00:16:38] Speaker A: After grabbing a few shots, he's ready to record the video. [00:16:44] Speaker B: All right, then I just go with this one. The video. All right. You want to hear what I say? I don't know what I'm gonna say. All right. All right, here we go. Hey, honey, here's your heart on the hill today with Tammy and Jordan. [00:17:03] Speaker A: Hello. [00:17:04] Speaker B: Hey. They're saying hi. And we did some flour and some ribbons today, but just wanted to tell you I love you. Hope you have a wonderful day, and this is just for you. [00:17:15] Speaker A: See ya later on. I'm southbound on McLeod heading home as I pass the hill, I crane my neck to see Shane's newest creation. It reminds me that when it comes to my loved ones, it's worth the effort you've been listening to. What's your story? Threads of human experience. I'm Tammy Samuel. Special thanks to Meg Wilcox for her direction in the making of this episode and Jordan Zhang for his assistance with production. Alyssa Morell and other next door members who reached out to Doug Webb and Malaika Gonovu for their time. And a big thank you to Shane and Sandy Basin for sharing their story. This series was produced in Mokinstis, also known as Calgary, the Ancestral lands of the Nitsitopi, Iahe, Nakota, Sioux, Tina and Metis peoples. This series is a part of the community podcast initiative based out of Mount Royal University, where we are grateful for the opportunity to create, learn and grow. As our stories intersect, we see value and importance in learning about the people and places where our lives unravel and recognizing our responsibility to decolonize our media practice. Be sure to subscribe to what's your story wherever you get your podcasts to pull more threads and discover new stories.