The Prospector’s Wife
The Life and Tumultuous Times of Aileen (Mimi) Drabble
by John Drabble

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Aileen Mary Eleanor Drabble was a young woman just out of school when in 1911 she immigrated to Canada along with her family. They left the comfort of upper class British society to start again in Vancouver then a booming city on the edge of the Canadian frontier. Impetuous and headstrong Aileen soon fell in love with a gold prospector. Together they embarked on a 40-year adventure marked by both great elation and deep adversity. Whether in Vancouver or in the wilderness of BC’s interior, Aileen known as Mimi to her family, left an indelible impression on nearly everyone she met. More than 30 years after her death those who knew her still tell stories about her. Though never famous she was very much a pioneer whose life in many ways paralleled the journey of her adopted country from a British colony to an independent nation.

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John Drabble has worked as a reporter and editor for a number of Western Canadian newspapers including the Vancouver Sun. He retired in 2012 after spending two decades as a radio and television producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is a one of Mimi’s grandchildren. Many other family members contributed stories and technical assistance in preparation of the photographic images.

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Contributors

Author

John Drabble

Photographer

Trent Watts