79-year-old B.C. choir conductor constructs 'little libraries' to donate to others
Although he’s the same age as Mick Jagger, and has worked in the music business for a similar length of time, there is one difference between between the Rolling Stones frontman and Bruce More.
“Rock and Roll generally gets big audience response,” Bruce says before laughing.
“Whereas choir conductors, not so much.”
But when the crowd does goes relatively crazy for your choir, “there’s absolutely no feeling in the world like it,” Bruce says.
When he wasn’t conducting choirs in 33 countries around the world, Bruce was striving for a similar high as a self-described “garage sale freak.”
“If you make a big purchase and get a real deal on something, you just feel so good,” Bruce says.
Finding a bargain was one thing. Using what he bought was another.
“For 30 years, I’ve been collecting tools,” Bruce says. “And they’ve been sitting in the basement doing nothing.”
But then Bruce retired.
“You hear about people who retire and they die the next year,” Bruce says. “Finding something to do that you really like is really important.”
So Bruce decided to use his tools to construct a "Little Free Library" in his front yard and start exchanging books with his neighbours.
“It collapsed (in the rain) because it was made of particle board,” Bruce smiles. “Note to self.”
So he tried again. And with the same determination that earned him a doctorate from Yale, Bruce built a more robust book-borrowing box.
“It’s the thrill of creating something,” Bruce says, showing pictures of his brightly painted buildings with shingled roofs and latching doors.
“And the thrill of somebody using something you’ve created.”
Bruce started making multiple Little Free Libraries and donating them to people who couldn’t make or afford their own. He even made a map showing how 15 of them have been erected across the region. He’s currently working on two more.
“I want to make the thing,” Bruce smiles. “And get it out there.”
Which brings us to another difference between Mick and him. While Jagger “can’t get no satisfaction,” Bruce has found that serving others is the most fulfilling feeling of all.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.