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Tottenham resident returns the generosity she received as a young refugee

January 23, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Eva Bradley is sure she has a guardian angel on her shoulder.

The Tottenham resident was invited to tell her story at a meeting of the United Church Women at St. John’s United Church in Alliston on Friday, Jan. 17.

Eva has been a tireless fundraiser over the past 44 years, raising money for different local causes. Her most recent venture was her Toonies for Tecumseth campaign which raised over $10,000 in support of the Tottenham Food Bank and S.H.I.F.T in Alliston.

Eva began fundraising in 1980 when she was inspired by Terry Fox and his cross-country run in support of cancer research. Since then, she has raised thousands of dollars for various causes.

For Eva, raising funds for a good cause is a way for her to give back to the country which she said ‘has been so good to her.’

Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1941, Eva lived in a rural area in relative poverty, whereas a child there were times when there wasn’t enough to eat and shoes were a luxury.

At the age of 11, her mother abandoned her and took her to live with another family. She never saw her family again.

In 1956, the Hungarian Revolution began and Eva recalled hearing the rumble of Russian tanks near her home.

Eva’s mother and brother were killed during the revolution.

Late one night she was roused from her bed and was told they were fleeing the area because of the danger. Along the way, she witnesses some of the atrocities of war.

The group made their way to Liverpool, then onto a ship bound for Canada. At the time, Eva had no idea what her destination was.

After arriving in New Brunswick, the refugees were taken to Ottawa. It happened to be during the Christmas season.

“I [was] so mesmerized because of the Christmas season,” Eva recalled. “All I could see were these beautiful decorations and lights. I had never seen anything like it.”

The family she arrived with abandoned her as 15-year-old, in a new country, who didn’t speak the language.

She recalled how Canadian citizens were so good to her by welcoming her and trying to help her.

“We were there for Christmas, and there were people who invited us to their home for Christmas dinner, that touched my heart so much,” Eva said. “I didn’t understand a word they were saying, but I understood the kindness.”

A family realized that Eva was alone, and took her under her wing and took her to their home in Elliot Lake where she found a job.

A while later, social services insisted she go to school and was placed in a foster home.

From her previous experience, Eva was very distrustful of anyone in a uniform.

“I was afraid of everything and anybody who was in a uniform,” She explained. “If I saw a mailman, or a soldier, I would cross the street. It took about eight years of being in Canada before I could get over that.”

She was living in Sault Ste. Marie when she first visited a cinema with a friend. The first movie she saw was ‘Jailhouse Rock’ starring Elvis Presley.

“It was my favourite,” she said. “I had such a crush on him.”

One of the people at the theatre realized she couldn’t speak English, and offered her a chance to come to the theatre at any time and watch the movies. She credits those movies with helping her learn to speak English.

Eva eventually found her way to Halifax where another woman she met offered her job working as a nanny.

Several times in her early years she found herself at a crossroads. Every time, a stranger appeared and helped her out.

Eva met her future husband while she was there, and they married in 1961.

Eva said she is sure she has an angel who provided and guided her by having people help her during those early years.

She decided that she would begin fundraising as a way of paying back all the generosity she had received since landing on Canada’s shores.

The thousands of dollars she has raised over the years have contributed to local good causes and has, in turn, helped others in need. 

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