For Better or For Worse characters
Encyclopedia
The characters in Lynn Johnston
's cartoon strip For Better or For Worse
have extensive back stories. The birthdates of the characters given below were the characters' birthdates as shown on the strip's website prior to the cartoonist's decision to re-boot the strip from 1 September 2008, returning the setting to the early years of John and Elly's marriage.
, whose hobby was model railroading. Although their marriage was shown as strong, their personalities and priorities often conflicted: John was prone to splurging on expensive items such as stereo
s and luxury automobiles while Elly endeavored to be frugal. He was based on Lynn Johnston's real-life ex-husband Rod, also a dentist and model railroader.
Elly Patterson, née Richards (born May 28, 1950), began as the strip's housewife
protagonist
. On occasion she would fill in for one of John's dental assistants, take English classes, and took a volunteer job writing for the local paper. She later worked in the town library
, then a local book store. John and Elly eventually bought the book store, expanding its inventory to include classic toys and model railroad kits. When Elly retired, she sold the title
to the bookstore to Moira, an employee of hers. Elly was based on creator Lynn Johnston, who named the character after a late friend of hers.
, he was a senior editor at Portrait magazine. He married Deanna Sobinski (born December 13, 1976), a pharmacist and also a Western Alumna; she was Michael's first childhood crush, with whom he'd lost contact after she moved away. She came back into his life as an adult, the victim of a tragic car accident Michael witnessed. The couple had two children: a daughter named Meredith Anne and a son named Robin Michael. Their apartment burned down, leading them to move back home with John and Elly. They eventually bought the house, while the senior Pattersons moved to a nearby smaller house more suitable for an older couple.
Michael completed his first novel, Stone Season, on the night of an apartment fire in December 2006. The character drew heavy criticism from some readers for exerting more energy rushing into the burning building to save his manuscript than making certain his wife and children were safe. In February 2007 he was offered a contract for its publication with a lucrative advance. Following his resignation from Portrait magazine rather than agree to his publisher's demands that he downsize his staff, Michael determined to concentrate solely on his writing. Deanna supported the family through her work managing the pharmacy in the same building where John had his dental office.
The final Sunday strip projected that in the future, Michael would become a successful author, with four published books and a screenplay deal, and that he would still collaborate regularly with Josef Weeder. Deanna was to leave her pharmacy job to open a small sewing school.
in North Bay
, did her practice teaching assignment in nearby Garden Village, and subsequently taught on an Indian reserve
in the fictional town of Mtigwaki.
In a story arc starting in late July 2005 and culminating in the August 11, 2005 strip, she was stalked and assaulted by Howard Bunt, her coworker at a landscaping business owned and operated by her longtime friend Lawrence Poirier and his partner, Nicholas Browne. She was rescued by Anthony Caine, her high school boyfriend, who took her away from her work immediately after the assault to reveal that his marriage was failing and that he still loved her.
Elizabeth later declined to renew her teaching contract in Mtigwaki and taught summer school in Mississauga
in the Greater Toronto Area
in summer 2006. She acquired a full-time teaching job closer to home and moved back in with her parents until she eventually found her own place. Although she had been in a long-distance relationship with Constable Paul Wright, his affair with Elizabeth's replacement teacher Susan ended their romance. When Elizabeth and Anthony both attended the July 2007 wedding of their friend Shawna-Marie, they rekindled their relationship. They became engaged in the March 13, 2008 strip and were married in the August 25, 2008 strip. In the series' epilogue strip, it was revealed that their first son, James Allen, would be born before her grandfather Jim's death in 2010.
April was one of the founders of local garage band, 4Evah (later renamed 4Evah & Eva). After visiting her aunt's farm in 2006, she began to consider becoming a veterinarian. The series' epilogue strip told that April would go to university and graduate with a veterinary medicine
degree. Her love of horses would lead her to an opportunity to work with the Calgary Stampede
in Calgary
, Alberta
. She's said to be living a "country life" and has an unnamed country boyfriend.
veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force
's 408 Squadron. After his wife Marian died in 1998, Jim lived with Elly and John for several years and became very close with his younger granddaughter April, first giving her a harmonica
that he kept with him during his time in the military, then later teaching her how to play the guitar. He met Iris Reid in 2000, moved to an apartment in the same seniors' housing building soon thereafter, and they eloped to England in 2003. April's success with her band inspired Jim to form his own band, The New Bentwood Rockers.
Jim suffered a stroke
in September 2006 and spent several weeks in the hospital. He was able to return to his apartment under the care of Iris and home health aides. While the readers were aware that there was less damage to Jim's brain than originally feared (as evidenced by his still sharp thought balloons), his ability to speak was severely impaired, and the other characters remained unsure about just how much damage had been done.
In the October 3, 2007 strip, Jim was found in an unresponsive state by a horrified Iris. He had suffered another stroke and was temporarily in a coma at the hospital. Once again he recovered enough to return home to Iris's care; however, his health was declining rapidly and Elizabeth, hearing April's description of Jim's failing health after April had visited her grandfather, accelerated her wedding plans to enable him to attend.
In the August 16, 2008 strip, Jim suffered a heart attack and was unable to attend Elizabeth's wedding, but Elizabeth and Anthony went to visit him in hospital immediately after their wedding. The August 31 epilogue strip revealed that Jim would live to see a new great-grandson and die at age 89 in 2010.
Iris' first husband was named George Reid; together they had three children. Elly's step-brother Jordan lived with his second wife and two children from his first marriage on a ranch near Calgary; step-sister Maggie and her husband and daughter lived in Arizona; and step-sister Sarah and her husband lived in nearby Barrie, Ontario. George died in 1999, and Iris met Jim several months later. None of Iris' children were ever seen in the strip.
, and eventually bought a home in Milborough. One major arc that included Georgia was when John and Phil had been stranded while canoeing
and her worry with Elly, then traveling to Elly to be reunited with Phil when he was found, who also was going to be reunited with John. Phil's experience with wilderness survival arguably taught him that life is limited, and he proposed marriage to Georgia shortly afterwards. It was later revealed by another character that she and Phil had moved to Montreal, but still made occasional trips to visit Elly and John.
.
Bev and Dan Cruikshank: John Patterson's sister and her husband who operated a family farm, formerly owned by her father Will, outside of Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. Dan managed the farm and Bev was a veterinarian. Their daughter Laura worked on the farm and assisted her mother with the veterinary practice. The Patterson family as a whole visited them on occasion and each Patterson child in turn had been sent to the farm during the summer.
Agnes Dingle: The landlady of Michael and Josef (Weed) Weeder while the two were attending the University of Western Ontario
in London. Though often moody and irascible, she gradually revealed a gentle heart that allowed her to warm to her tenants as good friends. Agnes had a stroke in 2004 and retired to live nearer her children. Michael's first novel, Stone Season, was supposed to be a fictional retelling of Agnes' life.
Candace Halloran: Elizabeth's roommate at Nipissing University
in North Bay
(near Johnston's current residence in Corbeil). The two had known each other since their middle school days and reunited during Elizabeth's first year at university, becoming close friends. A former rebel with a troubled home life, Candace studied psychology and planned to become a counsellor to troubled teens. In her biography on the official website, she finds a partner in her boyfriend Rudy. Both even plan to have a child together.
Moira Kinney: Elly's employee at the bookstore. Moira worked for the previous owner, Lily Petrucci, and stayed on when Elly bought the store in 2000. Moira bought the business from Elly in 2006, with John and Elly retaining the mortgage on the property.
Shannon Lake: A girl in April's home economics
class and part of her school's special needs programme. Shannon's reasons for being in that programme were not specifically addressed in the strip, but on a detailed section of the official website. Shannon was based on Lynn's former brother-in-law's stepdaughter, Stephanie Haskins.
Ted McCaulay: John's friend and a doctor in the Medical Arts Building where John had his dental practice. He was portrayed as an incorrigible male chauvinist whose only long-term relationship was with his mother. He dated Connie Poirier for a time after her relationship with Phil Richards ended, and married his secretary, Irene, just months before Connie moved to Thunder Bay. He was never faithful to Irene and she walked out on him; he did not remarry. In his official biography, he did seem to show a great deal of caring for Lawrence's feelings when he dated Connie and was surprised by his coldness when they dated again, wondering what happened in his mother's last relationship. Its also hinted that he married Irene, out of the shock and depression when he realized that Connie had left him for Greg. He began to cheat on Irene when he found his new wife very dull and would explore his on what he could get away with. His mother both times was always happy to see Connie or Irene go, constantly criticizing them and their faults. She eventually died in 2005, he still lives in the house they shared. He's learned to finally stop womanizing and has began a somewhat normal relationship with a retired school principle. Neither one talks of marriage, enjoying their independent life.
Becky McGuire: April's on-again, off-again friend since childhood. She was a founding member of "4-Evah", as its keyboard player and lead singer, later leaving the band to pursue a solo career. Under her stage name of Rebecca (sometimes Rebeccah), she developed moderate fame as a singer.
Gordon Mayes: Gordon was Michael's childhood friend and was a year older than Michael and Lawrence. The son of alcoholic and sometimes abusive parents, he made his own fortune through buying an auto-repair garage, eventually parlaying that into several successful businesses (most notably car dealership Mayes Motors), with the help of John Patterson as a silent partner
. His wife and high school sweetheart Tracey helps him run the gas station, but spends much of her effort being a housewife and mother. They have two children, Paul and Rosemary, for whom Elizabeth and April were frequent babysitters. Prior to getting married, Gordon confronted his parents, saying he wanted them out of his life and their bad influence would be poisonous for his marriage. When his parents learned that Gordon's marriage had issue, they have worked to seek sobriety treatments and counseling to cure them of alcoholism
in the hopes that they can become good grandparents to Gordon's children. Gordon has been the second most cited character to raise controversy (the first being Lawrence for his homosexuality), as author Lynn Johnston has said she dealt with numerous complaints stating that most children from broken homes usually grow up to be part of drugs, and that Gordon's portrayal as an abused boy who grew up to become a successful business owner as well as a dedicated husband and father is unrealistic and too much of a "happy ending". Johnston has defended her portrayal of Gordon on the basis that she believes with hard work and a strong moral code it is possible for those who had adverse pasts to rise above it.
Tracey Mayes (née Wells): Tracey was first introduced when Gordon and Michael were in high school. Originally Tracey had been Michael's date to a semi-formal dance, but Michael had been mortified by a bad case of acne
. Not wanting to abandon Tracey and seeing how Gordon was struggling with datelessness, Michael set Gordon up with Tracey. The relationship of Tracey and Gordon was one of the more unique couples in FBoFW in that it started out slow, with both Gordon and Tracey worried that romance would sour a good friendship. However, in time the "spark" flared up, and it led to a rocksteady marriage. Tracey is both a good business partner of Gordon's as well as a devoted wife and mother to two children.
Connie Poirier: Mother of Lawrence, and Elly's closest friend since their days at the University of Toronto
. According to Lynn Johnston's retrospective A Look Inside...[FBOFW], Connie was intended to be both a feminist shrew and a villainous counterpart to Elly Patterson, and was named for an incompetent art teacher Lynn had had in high school, but the character mellowed within a few weeks to a struggling single mother, and gradually evolved into Elly's closest friend. Connie was previously married to Peter Landry, who was for many years assumed to be Lawrence's father, but in a retcon
storyline in the summer of 1998, Connie revealed that she had met Brazilian doctor Pablo da Silva after university while they were both working in Ecuador as part of a travelling medical team; Connie had become pregnant and assumed that Pablo would return to Canada with her but, when he did not, she decided to raise their son alone. Connie also had relationships with Elly's brother Phil and John's friend Ted, then married Greg Thomas, becoming stepmother to his daughters Gayle and Molly. Connie was initially reluctant to accept Lawrence's coming out
when he revealed his homosexuality to her as a teenager.
Lawrence Poirier: Michael's best friend since childhood and still is. In 1993, it was revealed that Lawrence is a homosexual. He hired Elizabeth to work for his landscaping business, Lakeshore Landscaping, for two summers. His partner was Nicholas Browne.
Olivia "Lovey" Saltzman: Michael and Deanna's landlady in Toronto. Lovey had a warm friendship with Michael and Deanna from the start of their tenancy, often helping out the couple by preparing meals and babysitting. She arranged for them to move into her building's larger apartment at a discounted rate to accommodate their growing family. She reveals that her parents named her in honor of the actress Olivia de Havilland
.
Josef Myron "Weed" Weeder: A professional photographer who was Michael's university friend, roommate and later journalistic partner. Weed had a strained relationship with his wealthy family, especially his father who initially wanted him to abandon photography and join the family business. His father finally reconsidered Weed's photography business and was impressed enough to heavily invest into it.
Duncan Anderson: April's classmate and band mate in the group 4Evah & Eva.
Ruby Andrews: Candace's aunt. She owned a convenience store in North Bay, where her niece and Elizabeth went to university. Ruby was mugged while minding the store. She recovered and sold the business.
Thelma Baird: A kindly old woman who was the Patterson family's neighbour. A breeder of English sheepdogs, Thelma gave a puppy to her neighbours, who named him Farley. (Johnston chose the name to honour the Canadian writer Farley Mowat
.) Thelma moved into a seniors' residence where she became close to Ed. Thelma's death in 1988 was the first in FBorFW.
Jean Baker: John's longtime assistant at the dental clinic. In 1985 she had a daughter named Brittany.
Warren Blackwood: A helicopter pilot who kept up a long-distance friendship (with romantic overtones) with Elizabeth. In the spring of 2008 he visited Elizabeth with hopes of a deeper relationship, but discovered that she was engaged to Anthony. Warren wished Elizabeth well with Anthony, who in turn hoped he would find the right woman, and the two parted ways peacefully. In his biography on the official website, its shown that he has a brother and is an uncle to two boys and a girl.
Rhetta Blum: Michael's third girlfriend, from his later high school years. Their relationship ended during Michael's time at university: he dreamt of travelling and seeing the world and she wanted to stay at home in Milborough near her family. They reunited briefly, but Michael's growing attraction to Deanna and his discovery that Rhetta had met someone new led to him ending their relationship amicably by e-mail.
Nicholas Browne: Lawrence's domestic partner with whom he co-owned a landscaping business in Milborough, Lakeshore Landscaping.
Howard Bunt: An employee at Lawrence Poirier's landscaping business who stalked and assaulted Elizabeth in the summer of 2005. He was stopped by Anthony Caine and soon after was fired by Lawrence. He was eventually charged (the exact charge was never specified) and stood trial. On February 22, 2007, he was found guilty and sentenced to two years less a day in prison to be served without parole, and to also be placed in psychiatric treatment.
Françoise (Francie) Caine: Daughter of Anthony and Thérèse Caine who was born on March 7, 2005. She is in Anthony's custody. She has her father wrapped around her finger and even got him into shaving off his mustache; finding it that it made him old. She misses her mother deeply. When she does see her mother for a rare moment, she tells her mother that all she wants is her and not the presents she sends. She's given a sorta heartbreaking moment when her mother leaves her with an empty promise that she'll see her again. While Francie was unsure of what to think of her father's relationship with Elizabeth, the two have grown a bond together. She was a flower girl at Elizabeth and Anthony's wedding and seemed happy on the idea of being part of her family.
Thérèse Caine (née Arsenault): Anthony's long-suffering first wife. The two had a contentious relationship, made worse due to Anthony still harboring feelings towards his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth and possible pressures from both sides of their families. When they were together Thérèse was constantly paranoid that Anthony was cheating on her, even accusing Gordon's wife of hitting on him. Thérèse did not want to give up her career to become a stay at home mother like her family wanted. When she's pregnant she's very unease with the situation, but goes along with the pregnancy due to her parents pressure. While Anthony was thrilled to be a parent, she was the opposite; possibly hinting postpartum depression. To please his wife, Anthony agreed to give up work and become a stay at home dad/and allow Thérèse to become the family earner. Once the child was born, Anthony forced on the deal, continuing to work while taking care of Francoise, while Therese continued her work. On the official website biography, when Thérèse's depression gets worse, Anthony tries to be supportive and more than anything find her help. While she did, it only helped her with what she wanted; which was getting a high career job. Her therapy didn't seem to include how she could bond with her daughter or fix her marriage. During the months, while she was distant with Anthony she seemed happier. This made him happy, but not for long when she coldly announced she was having an affair with a client. The affair stunned Anthony, but more was that she left Francoise with him as if she were a piece of property. Even when she left him, she blames him for "not being man enough" for her, but stops realizing that he's been doing something she still won't. Being a parent, she leaves telling him they could had made a team(meaning in business). Her last appearance in the strip was a Christmas meeting with Elizabeth and Francie in the mall, where Thérèse revealed that she had been sending presents to her daughter. However, she had seen little or almost no time with Francie. Rather than take the chance to bond with her daughter, Thérèse quickly bolted out of the mall. In the biography, its hinted that things with her lover are going sour, but Anthony harbors no ill will towards her. Anthony believes she's still finding herself and hopes every bit of happiness for her.
Everett Callahan: John's associate at the dental practice, a young dentist who is up-to-date with current techniques and procedures. John intended to turn the practice over to Everett when John retired. In the monthly letters, John occasionally referred to his associate as "Elliot."
Eric Chamberlain: Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend from university and roommate of Rudy, later Candace's boyfriend. Elizabeth moved in with Eric after her first year, but broke off the relationship when she caught him seeing another woman.
Gary Crane: The headmaster of the elementary school in Mtigwaki where Elizabeth taught. In one arc he yelled at Mitigawi children who were looking at Elizabeth baking cookies through her window in order to discourage Peeping Tom
behavior. While Elizabeth admitted to Gary she felt the kids were doing it innocently, he replied they needed to be taught respect for other people's privacy, then later offered to help Elizabth adjust to Indian village life by sharing his hobby of fishing
. His surname was given as Crow on the 11 August 2008 strip when he and Vivian arrived for Elizabeth and Anthony's wedding. The strip on the official site was quickly fixed during the day, but copies posted elsewhere and printed in newspapers retained the error.
Vivian Crane: Gary's wife. She ran the medical station in Mtigwaki.
Rudy Dodd: Candace's boyfriend. Once a roommate of Eric Chamberlain's at Nipissing University, he met Candace through Elizabeth and Eric and bonded with her instantly as, like her, he also had a troubled home life growing up. In Candace's biography on the website, it is said that she and Rudy are domestic partners. Most likely due to their trouble home lives, neither one feels comfortable with being married. But they are shown to be very happy and are thinking of having child together.
Susan Dokis: A young woman of Native descent who replaced Liz as the primary grades teacher at the school in Mtigwaki. She was also a childhood friend of Paul Wright. Elizabeth broke off her relationship with Paul when she returned to Mtigwaki a day earlier than planned and found him at Susan's house. In the website official biography, although the breaking of the relationship is sorta halfway on both ends, Susan clearly blames Elizabeth in the relationship and believes that Paul and Elizabeth didn't have anything special. Possible sign of either frustration or jealousy.
Sharon Edwards: Elizabeth's favourite teacher during her middle school years; Sharon inspired her greatly by building a teaching career despite being a paraplegic (there was an inconsistency in how she acquired her disability: in one strip she states that she was badly injured in a motorcycle crash as a teenager; earlier quotes infer that she was a wheelchair user from early childhood at least). Recently married and became Sharon Taylor.
Brian Enjo: Michael's former classmate and the son of Keith and Carol Enjo, neighbors of the Pattersons. Moved to Japan and married a Japanese woman, Junko. He and Micheal still talk through e-mails.
Dawn Enjo: She became Elizabeth's friend when her family moved into Connie Poirier's former home. She was a descendant of Japanese-Canadian immigrants. She became a graphic designer in Ottawa and married David.
Gerald Forsythe / Delaney (both surnames were used in the strip): April's boyfriend; also a member of the band 4Evah & Eva. He decided to forego university to become a full-time musician, and accepted Becky's offer to tour with her band for the summer. The two have had many disagreements one over how he acted in front of the guys, his treatment over her friend Shannon, and how she felt betrayed when he took Becky's offer. But she's let them go and accepted that at some point the relationship wouldn't last. At some point, she and Gerald break up, its hinted at the epilogue of For Better or For Worse. April is said to live in the country and to have a country boyfriend, which is unlikely to be Gerald as he wanted to be famous with his music career.
Luis Guzman: Replaced Becky McGuire as keyboard player in the band 4Evah.
Jeremy Jones: Classmate of April. In elementary school, he mercilessly bullied her while she countered with an insulting song ("Wormy, germy Jeremy Jones"). The conflict culminated with an incident where Jeremy tried to run April down in a bicycle chase, only to crash into an oncoming car and suffer severe injuries. Since April showed the compassion to stay and call for help as well as being the only child to visit him in the hospital, they reached a truce of sorts after the accident, but they rarely spoke to each other.
Melville & Winnie Kelpfroth: They moved into the apartment below Michael and Deanna's at Lovey Saltzman's property. He and his wife are childless and didn't like the noise or clutter caused by Meredith and Robin Patterson, banging a broom on the ceiling at any noise from upstairs. Damage done to the ceiling prompted Lovey Saltzman to begin eviction proceedings. Melville smoked a cigar despite the "No Smoking" clause in his tenancy agreement, which led to the fire that destroyed most of the building. After the fire they were reported to be in "serious condition" and did not appear again in the strip between then and the final original strip in 2008.
Kortney Krelbutz: Former assistant at Elly's bookstore. April suspected Kortney of assisting in a burglary and was threatened by Kortney when she confronted her. Elly preferred to think well of Kortney and dismissed April's concerns. Moira fired Kortney while Elly was on holiday in Mexico, resulting in Elly having to confront facts such as Kortney embezzling bookstore money and covering it up by forging receipts to nonexistant charities
. Kortney retaliated by filing a wrongful-termination lawsuit, but nothing came of it, particularly after it was revealed that Moria and April had been telling the truth and Kortney had been an accessory in a felony theft at the bookstore.
Brad Luggsworth: A grade-school classmate of Michael who bullied him in his elementary school days. While he was a bully he had a soft spot for his hard-working mother. He significantly cleaned up his act as an adult and became a policeman following an enlistment in the Royal Canadian Air Force
. He investigated a felony theft at Elly's bookstore in 2000, which Elly was surprised to see how mature and good-looking he was in a police uniform, having last seen him as a kid who bothered Michael. On the official website biography, its hinted that Brad's father abused his mother to the point that she had to go to the hospital. This left a hard impression on him as a child. Both his parents are divorced, and his father was in jail. With some determination and possibly some small encouragement from a kind police officer, it fueled Brad to be a better man. He's since gotten happily married to a woman named Lisa and is now the proud father young son and an infant daughter.
Laurie McLeod-Shabogesic: Laurie is a real person living in Northern Ontario, and Lynn put her in the strip as a teaching assistant who helped out at Liz's school on the reserve. Laurie's real-life husband Perry and son Falcon also collaborated with Johnston on the Mtigwaki series of strips.
Martha McRae: Michael's second girlfriend, whom he met at summer camp
. Following the summer's end Martha and Michael ended up in the same school, but problems arose when Martha had been kiss and tell about her and Michael being camp sweethearts. When Michael failed his first driving test he blamed it on Martha breaking off the relationship just before the test. While Micheal was heartbroken, when he would see her again at her work. He realized he felt nothing anymore for her. When graduation came around, Micheal told Gordon that she'd regret breaking up with him; and in a sense he was right. In the character's monthly letters it was revealed that an adult Martha was a divorced mother of twin girls who still lived in Ontario, working for a business near Michael's office. The now full-grown Martha and Michael would meet often for lunch and Michael wrote in his letters that he reflected as to how both Deanna and Martha were childhood girlfriends of his, and used some of his writings to imagine how his life would have turned out had he married Martha instead of Deanna.
Jesse Mukwa: A student in Elizabeth's school class at the Ojibwa
reserve in Mtigwaki. It was he who brought Elizabeth the abandoned kitten she named Shiimsha (the Ojibwa
word for 'friend').
The New Bentwood Rockers: A jazz
band of senior musicians assembled by Jim at the retirement home where he lives. Years earlier, while living in Vancouver, he had formed an earlier band known as the Bentwood Rockers.
Anne Nichols: The Pattersons' longtime neighbour. For years a housewife and babysitter, in later years she managed the food and catering services at Milborough's Empire Hotel. A close confidante of Elly in the early years of the strip, she began to appear less often, in part because of her perpetually rocky marriage, partly modeled after Johnston's first marriage which ended in divorce. Anne confronted her husband Steve with her suspicions that was having an affair: he confessed, broke off the relationship. Though she was obviously hurt, she stayed with Steve for she didn't believe in divorce. In her biography on the official website, she did give Steve a warning that if he slipped up again, she'd leave and take the children. They had three children: Christopher, who was about the same age as Elizabeth, Richard, about three years younger and the first birth to appear in the strip, and Leah, who was best remembered for having been born with six fingers on each hand. Anne's children have all grown up and her son Christopher is now married. While her marriage isn't ideal, she's still happy with her husband.
Dennis North: A friend of Lawrence and Nicholas. He was Elizabeth's escort to Anthony's wedding and to a New Year's Eve party at Gord and Tracey's house. Although Dennis claimed to be homosexual, he confided to Elizabeth his feelings for her
when he was her date to the wedding.
Kevin Smyth: A surgeon who recruited Deanna for a six-month medical mission to Honduras after she graduated from university in 1999.
Mira Sobinski (named Eva in her earliest appearances): Deanna's mother, portrayed as obnoxious and over-bearing, although she confessed to Lovey Saltzman that she only wanted her children to have the best in life and the dream wedding she herself had never had. She delighted in her grandchildren, frequently bringing them new clothes, toys and furniture, despite Deanna's protestations.
Wilfred Sobinski: Deanna's father; a hardware store owner. He was largely quiet, but at times could be forceful, such as when he bluntly ordered his wife to quit worrying about Deanna and that his daughter and son-in-law were quite capable of handling their own problems without her helicopter parenting. When Michael kicked out Mira after her harping on him for having too small a place to support a second child, Wilfred sided with Michael and ushered Mira out.
Carleen Stein: "Weed's" long-time photographic assistant, later his girlfriend.
Greg Thomas: Connie's second husband, and father of Gayle and Molly. Connie met Greg when she was living in Thunder Bay and, after dating for several months, proposed to him. Greg worked for a bank and was transferred to Milborough where he and Connie bought Thelma Baird's former house next door to the Pattersons' home. Gayle and Molly moved to Milborough with their father and stepmother, but had a difficult relationship with their stepmother and both girls disappeared from the strip; it was later said that Gayle had become a midwife, married an American
man and moved to the United States and Molly had left Milborough years earlier to live with her mother in Thunder Bay
. When Lawrence admitted he was gay as a teenager, Greg threw him out of the house, only to reconsider his decision and accept him.
Molly Thomas: Greg's younger daughter, a stepdaughter to Connie and stepsister to Lawrence. Two story arcs had centered around Molly; the first being her moodiness in adjusting to her father's remarriage and resisting Connie's attempts to bond with her, to which Elly attempted to guide Connie. A second story was when Lawrence told Brian, Gordon and Michael of how to spy on Molly through a tree
while she was in her underwear
. This resulted in Michael being caught by Molly while Brian and Gordon managed to get away. An enraged Elly read Michael the riot act for spying on women in their underwear and demanded John punish Michael, but John confided in Elly that he cannot be too hard on Michael for hypocrisy on account of him doing the same action at Michael's age. Molly and Gayle spent most of their teenage years giving Connie a hard time as their stepmother. In Connie's biography on the official website, both girls have calmed down during adulthood. They have each married and have children of their own. Both Molly and Gayle accept Connie now more as their children's grandmother.
Shawna-Marie Verano: A high-school classmate of Elizabeth. It was her wedding in the summer of 2007 that set the stage for Elizabeth and Anthony's reunion as a couple.
Paul Wright: A policeman with family in Mtigwaki and Elizabeth's last boyfriend before her marriage to Anthony. When Elly fell asleep on the drive home to Toronto, Paul and his partner let her spend the night at the police station. Elly showed Paul a large glossy photograph of Elizabeth and, when he discovered that Elly had forgotten her sunglasses at the police station, Paul decided to return them to Mtigwaki as an excuse to meet Elizabeth. Elly immediately thought of him as "Mr. (W)Right". Paul and Elizabeth were shown in a loving, close relationship, which ended when Elizabeth returned to Mtigwaki a day earlier than expected. She found out that Paul had been cheating on her with Susan Dokis, his childhood friend and the teacher who had replaced Elizabeth after she decided not to renew her teaching contract. On the official website, besides his infidelity with Susan, it is hinted that Paul became distant with her out of jealousy of her close friendship with Anthony.
Ben: Lawrence's boyfriend. He was seen only once in the strip at Lawrence's high school graduation. He later left for Paris to study piano at Le Conservatoire and Lawrence decided to end the relationship.
, the Patterson's first family dog. A runt from the last litter of Thelma Baird's dog Lily, Elly felt sorry for the puppy and adopted him. Farley grew up alongside Michael and Elizabeth, later siring a litter of his own with the neighbour's dog Sera, resulting in his son, Edgar. Farley died shortly after rescuing April from the creek near the Patterson's home.
Johnston named Farley for the Canadian author Farley Mowat
due, in part, to the author's resemblance to the puppy. When Mowat confirmed with Johnston that he was the Patterson puppy's namesake, he requested and received an original strip in recompense. Mowat hung the strip above his toilet
, "so the men would read it!"
Edgar: Old English Sheepdog
/Labrador Retriever
mixed breed, the Patterson's second family dog, and offspring of Farley and Sera. He was part of April's rescue by barking to warn the family. After Farley's heroic death, Edgar was promoted to the family dog position, and used to be at odds with the rabbit Mr. B from time to time. (Johnston often compares his character to Don Knotts
)
Dixie: Shetland Sheepdog
, the Patterson's third family dog. Originally Grandpa Jim's dog, Elly took her in after he moved into a senior residence. Dixie still misses Grandpa Jim, but has settled down into the Patterson home, taking the role as Edgar's devout follower - wherever he goes, whatever he does, she copies.
Sera: Labrador Retriever
, the Poirier's family dog. Connie bought her as a puppy while waiting for the day when she would have grandchildren of her own to play with. After Lawrence's confession of being gay, Connie took her husband's words to heart - "Que sera sera" - and named the puppy "Sera". Sera gave birth to a litter of puppies sired by Farley, one of them adopted by the Pattersons and named Edgar. Her current status is unknown.
Lily: Old English Sheepdog
, Thelma Baird's dog. From her last litter, Elly adopted the runt - as Thelma called him - and named him Farley. Lily died of old age, contributing slightly to Thelma's move into a seniors' complex.
, to which Elizabeth bid on and won a rabbit. When she returned home Elizabeth took the rabbit with her. Michael named him, and April took responsibility over him when Elizabeth didn't want the hassle. Mr. B was sometimes at odds with the family dogs. He enjoyed chewing on telephone and electrical cords, often getting a shock in the process. Mr. B died in April's arms in 2002.
Butterscotch: April Patterson's second rabbit, named for her colouring. After April's school friends found that Mr. B had died, they informed her that a schoolmate was looking for someone to take his pet rabbit. April adopted the rabbit and took her home. Though more delicate than Mr. B, Butterscotch proved to be equally - or even more - full of mischief, had a bad habit of emptying her cage's wood chips onto the floor, and started to get the hang of taking on the dogs as Mr. B once did. Butterscotch also fell in love with Elly's bunny slippers, either following Elly everywhere when she uses them, or "playing" with them when they were in the closet.
Shiimsa: Elizabeth Patterson's cat. Though her breed was never clearly identified by the strip, many readers speculated she was a gray tabby mix. Discovered as a stray kitten by Elizabeth's student Jesse, he manipulated Elizabeth to take her in. Initially unreceptive to the expense, messes and shedding hair, Elizabeth came to enjoy her cat. (Shiimsa, pronounced "SHEEM-sah", means "little animal friend" in Ojibwe.) Shiimsa moved back to Milborough with Elizabeth but whether Shiimsa remained at the Patterson family home with the other pets or moved to Anthony's house after Elizabeth's marriage was not shown.
Ned Tanner: Not a person but a grinning, six-inch, anatomically correct figurine with bendable plastic limbs and suction cups. Josef "Weed" Weeder, a photographer who often works with Michael, regarded "Ned" as his tongue-in-cheek mascot, as did Mike, and they kept him in the apartment they shared when they were students together at the University of Western Ontario. Originally a naked man which annoyed an old lady neighbor of theirs; Mike and Josef added a pair of swim trunks to Ned in an attempt to get her off their backs. When Weed fell in love with his assistant, Carleen Stein, he gave Ned to Carleen, to Mike's dismay, who demanded him back as he felt that Weed didn't value what Ned stood for: he was their 'futility symbol'. Meredith flushed Ned down the toilet, but his fate remained unknown until late November/early December 2006, when Robin flushed Michael's socks down the toilet. A plumber had to be called, and in unclogging the toilet found not only the socks but also Ned. As a result of this incident, Weed once again claimed Ned.
Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston, CM, OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award.-Early life:...
's cartoon strip For Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse is a comic strip by Lynn Johnston that ran for 30 years, chronicling the lives of a Canadian family, The Pattersons, and their friends. The story is set in the fictitious Toronto-area suburban town of Milborough, Ontario. Johnston's strip began in September 1979, and ended...
have extensive back stories. The birthdates of the characters given below were the characters' birthdates as shown on the strip's website prior to the cartoonist's decision to re-boot the strip from 1 September 2008, returning the setting to the early years of John and Elly's marriage.
John and Elly Patterson
John Patterson (born February 17, 1949), was a dentistDentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, whose hobby was model railroading. Although their marriage was shown as strong, their personalities and priorities often conflicted: John was prone to splurging on expensive items such as stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
s and luxury automobiles while Elly endeavored to be frugal. He was based on Lynn Johnston's real-life ex-husband Rod, also a dentist and model railroader.
Elly Patterson, née Richards (born May 28, 1950), began as the strip's housewife
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. On occasion she would fill in for one of John's dental assistants, take English classes, and took a volunteer job writing for the local paper. She later worked in the town library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, then a local book store. John and Elly eventually bought the book store, expanding its inventory to include classic toys and model railroad kits. When Elly retired, she sold the title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
to the bookstore to Moira, an employee of hers. Elly was based on creator Lynn Johnston, who named the character after a late friend of hers.
Michael and Deanna Patterson
Michael Thomas (born April 28, 1976), was the oldest of Elly and John Patterson's three children. An alumnus of the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, he was a senior editor at Portrait magazine. He married Deanna Sobinski (born December 13, 1976), a pharmacist and also a Western Alumna; she was Michael's first childhood crush, with whom he'd lost contact after she moved away. She came back into his life as an adult, the victim of a tragic car accident Michael witnessed. The couple had two children: a daughter named Meredith Anne and a son named Robin Michael. Their apartment burned down, leading them to move back home with John and Elly. They eventually bought the house, while the senior Pattersons moved to a nearby smaller house more suitable for an older couple.
Michael completed his first novel, Stone Season, on the night of an apartment fire in December 2006. The character drew heavy criticism from some readers for exerting more energy rushing into the burning building to save his manuscript than making certain his wife and children were safe. In February 2007 he was offered a contract for its publication with a lucrative advance. Following his resignation from Portrait magazine rather than agree to his publisher's demands that he downsize his staff, Michael determined to concentrate solely on his writing. Deanna supported the family through her work managing the pharmacy in the same building where John had his dental office.
The final Sunday strip projected that in the future, Michael would become a successful author, with four published books and a screenplay deal, and that he would still collaborate regularly with Josef Weeder. Deanna was to leave her pharmacy job to open a small sewing school.
Meredith Anne Patterson
Meredith was born at Fairview General Hospital on October 10, 2002 at 5:15 a.m., weighing 7lbs 4oz.She is the daughter of Michael and Deanna The strip shows her maturity from infancy to becoming a toddler. The final Sunday strip projected that in the future, Meredith has went into dance and theater.Robin Michael Patterson
- Robin (born November 1, 2004) was the son of Michael and Deanna. In 2006, he suffered a fever brought on by an ear infection. The final Sunday strip projected that in the future, is said to have learned how to cook from his mother.
Elizabeth Anne Patterson
Elizabeth (born June 26, 1979 or 1981 as she was called 24 in 2005), John and Elly's adult daughter. Throughout her childhood, her brother Michael referred to her by such names as "Lizardbreath" and "Sistwirp". She studied education at Nipissing UniversityNipissing University
Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a site overlooking Lake Nipissing. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario, and a large and highly respected faculty of education...
in North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
, did her practice teaching assignment in nearby Garden Village, and subsequently taught on an Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
in the fictional town of Mtigwaki.
In a story arc starting in late July 2005 and culminating in the August 11, 2005 strip, she was stalked and assaulted by Howard Bunt, her coworker at a landscaping business owned and operated by her longtime friend Lawrence Poirier and his partner, Nicholas Browne. She was rescued by Anthony Caine, her high school boyfriend, who took her away from her work immediately after the assault to reveal that his marriage was failing and that he still loved her.
Elizabeth later declined to renew her teaching contract in Mtigwaki and taught summer school in Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
in summer 2006. She acquired a full-time teaching job closer to home and moved back in with her parents until she eventually found her own place. Although she had been in a long-distance relationship with Constable Paul Wright, his affair with Elizabeth's replacement teacher Susan ended their romance. When Elizabeth and Anthony both attended the July 2007 wedding of their friend Shawna-Marie, they rekindled their relationship. They became engaged in the March 13, 2008 strip and were married in the August 25, 2008 strip. In the series' epilogue strip, it was revealed that their first son, James Allen, would be born before her grandfather Jim's death in 2010.
April Marian Patterson
April (born April 1, 1991, hence her name) was the teenage daughter of John and Elly Patterson. When Lynn Johnston wanted another child but found it impossible to do in real life, she chose to create one for the strip, resulting in April's birth. In 1995, Elly saw that the four-year-old April had figured out how to unlatch the back gate and get out of the yard, but did not take steps to secure the gate. This led to a near-tragedy several weeks later when April, having left the yard, fell into a swollen stream while playing on a nearby river bank and had to be rescued by the family's pet dog, Farley, who died immediately afterwards.April was one of the founders of local garage band, 4Evah (later renamed 4Evah & Eva). After visiting her aunt's farm in 2006, she began to consider becoming a veterinarian. The series' epilogue strip told that April would go to university and graduate with a veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
degree. Her love of horses would lead her to an opportunity to work with the Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. She's said to be living a "country life" and has an unnamed country boyfriend.
James Richards
Elly's father, James Richards (born March 21, 1921–2010), known to the Patterson family and readers as "Grandpa Jim", was a World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
's 408 Squadron. After his wife Marian died in 1998, Jim lived with Elly and John for several years and became very close with his younger granddaughter April, first giving her a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
that he kept with him during his time in the military, then later teaching her how to play the guitar. He met Iris Reid in 2000, moved to an apartment in the same seniors' housing building soon thereafter, and they eloped to England in 2003. April's success with her band inspired Jim to form his own band, The New Bentwood Rockers.
Jim suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in September 2006 and spent several weeks in the hospital. He was able to return to his apartment under the care of Iris and home health aides. While the readers were aware that there was less damage to Jim's brain than originally feared (as evidenced by his still sharp thought balloons), his ability to speak was severely impaired, and the other characters remained unsure about just how much damage had been done.
In the October 3, 2007 strip, Jim was found in an unresponsive state by a horrified Iris. He had suffered another stroke and was temporarily in a coma at the hospital. Once again he recovered enough to return home to Iris's care; however, his health was declining rapidly and Elizabeth, hearing April's description of Jim's failing health after April had visited her grandfather, accelerated her wedding plans to enable him to attend.
In the August 16, 2008 strip, Jim suffered a heart attack and was unable to attend Elizabeth's wedding, but Elizabeth and Anthony went to visit him in hospital immediately after their wedding. The August 31 epilogue strip revealed that Jim would live to see a new great-grandson and die at age 89 in 2010.
Marian Richards
Jim's first wife and Elly and Phil's mother, who died in 1998 after a long bout with heart disease. The series about Marian's final days was heavily based on Johnston's own experiences with the death of her mother, Ursula Ridgway. A few of the real-life Ursula's quotes were placed in Marian's mouth to reflect her courage in the face of death.Iris Richards
Iris Reid, who became Jim's second wife, met Jim at a Legion dance in 2000. Iris lived in a senior apartment; shortly after they met, Jim moved into an apartment in the same building. They eloped to England in 2003. When Elly heard the news of her father's remarriage, she was exasperated, not so much at now having a stepmother but that her father decided to travel to another country on the spur of the moment (reflecting the worry some grown children have that their aged parents cannot survive without them).Iris' first husband was named George Reid; together they had three children. Elly's step-brother Jordan lived with his second wife and two children from his first marriage on a ranch near Calgary; step-sister Maggie and her husband and daughter lived in Arizona; and step-sister Sarah and her husband lived in nearby Barrie, Ontario. George died in 1999, and Iris met Jim several months later. None of Iris' children were ever seen in the strip.
Phil Richards
Elly's younger brother, a trumpeter who earned money as a musician and a music teacher. He was living in Montreal when the strip began, and had a relationship with Connie. He later lived in Millborough for several years, appearing frequently in the strip, but became a minor character in later years and it was eventually revealed that he and his wife, Georgia, had moved back to Montreal. Two major story arcs involved Phil, one being that himself and John got stranded on a small island in the backcountry after bad weather caused a canoeing accident, which was based on a real-life experience involving Rod Johnston and another man, and their outback survival and later rescue, which convinces Phil to stop cohabiting and marry Georgia. Another was Georgia and Phil's wedding, which was the first wedding shown in FBoFW, and the first one which Michael and Elizabeth attended.Georgia Richards
Wife of Phil Richards, and the sister-in-law of Elly, and a flautist who shared his love of music. Unlike Phil, Georgia saw music as a hobby, not a career, and made her living as an audiologist. Georgia supported Phil after a doctor convinced him to quit smoking. Georgia and Phil lived together for several years before marryingCohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
, and eventually bought a home in Milborough. One major arc that included Georgia was when John and Phil had been stranded while canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
and her worry with Elly, then traveling to Elly to be reunited with Phil when he was found, who also was going to be reunited with John. Phil's experience with wilderness survival arguably taught him that life is limited, and he proposed marriage to Georgia shortly afterwards. It was later revealed by another character that she and Phil had moved to Montreal, but still made occasional trips to visit Elly and John.
William and Carrie Patterson
John Patterson's parents. They were rarely seen in the strip but lived close to daughter Bev's farm near Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their eldest son, Bill, was never seen in strip. Their first introduction was when John, lacking money to have the entire family visit his parents, decides to buy an airline ticket for Michael only to see his paternal grandparents, and also to teach Michael a lesson in manhood by flying across Canada as an unaccompanied minorUnaccompanied minor
An unaccompanied minor is a child without the presence of a legal guardian. This term is used in immigration law and in airline policies. The specific definition varies from country to country and from airline to airline.-Immigration Law:...
.
Supporting characters
Anthony Caine: Elizabeth's former high school boyfriend turned husband, worked for Gordon Mayes. In his biography on the official website, Anthony had a troubled family life, an inattentive mother,and a cold-business like father; something that both he and Thérèse shared. Though he was happy for a time with his stepmother, things would go distant when she unintentionally revealed that she wasn't happy with just Anthony and wanted her own child. His stepmother Clarice, would go through many hormone treatments, making her very moody for Anthony to be around. With his somewhat unpaternal father, this made Anthony very neglected and possibly depressed. His half-sister Abby would be born in 1995. While he did like his sister, he was a bit jealous of how his parents practically neglected him, once more. But he'd find that he had good parental figures in his step-grandparents. Although he had bad times, his stepmother and half sister still remained part of his life more than his father. After a many set of on/off again relationship with Liz, met and eventually Thérèse. The two had a strained relationship for many reasons, one could be Thérèse's constant paranoia and some what domineering over him, pressures from both their families, and his still hindering feelings fro Elizabeth. The relationship ultimately collapsed due to Anthony the deal he made with his wife: she would be allowed to keep her job if she gave him a child, who he would raise as a stay at home father. Anthony followed with the deal, but Thérèse's postpartum depression, then deciding to be more focused on work(neglecting him and their daughter), and her affair behind his back and ultimately abandoning him. During their deteriorating marriage and then her abandonment, Clarice came to his aid as a babysitter and insisted he get out to relieve his nerves. Anthony reunited with Elizabeth after saving her from a would-be rapist. After finalizing his divorce from Thérèse, the two became engaged and were married on August 25, 2008. The series' epilogue strip projects that Anthony will rekindle Elizabeth's love of ballroom dancing and develop an interest in opening a bed and breakfast with her when they eventually retire. He and Elizabeth also became the proud parents of James Allen, who was born before grandfather Jim's death in 2010.Bev and Dan Cruikshank: John Patterson's sister and her husband who operated a family farm, formerly owned by her father Will, outside of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Dan managed the farm and Bev was a veterinarian. Their daughter Laura worked on the farm and assisted her mother with the veterinary practice. The Patterson family as a whole visited them on occasion and each Patterson child in turn had been sent to the farm during the summer.
Agnes Dingle: The landlady of Michael and Josef (Weed) Weeder while the two were attending the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
in London. Though often moody and irascible, she gradually revealed a gentle heart that allowed her to warm to her tenants as good friends. Agnes had a stroke in 2004 and retired to live nearer her children. Michael's first novel, Stone Season, was supposed to be a fictional retelling of Agnes' life.
Candace Halloran: Elizabeth's roommate at Nipissing University
Nipissing University
Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a site overlooking Lake Nipissing. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario, and a large and highly respected faculty of education...
in North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
(near Johnston's current residence in Corbeil). The two had known each other since their middle school days and reunited during Elizabeth's first year at university, becoming close friends. A former rebel with a troubled home life, Candace studied psychology and planned to become a counsellor to troubled teens. In her biography on the official website, she finds a partner in her boyfriend Rudy. Both even plan to have a child together.
Moira Kinney: Elly's employee at the bookstore. Moira worked for the previous owner, Lily Petrucci, and stayed on when Elly bought the store in 2000. Moira bought the business from Elly in 2006, with John and Elly retaining the mortgage on the property.
Shannon Lake: A girl in April's home economics
Family and consumer science
Family and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science. Family and consumer sciences deals with the relationship between individuals, families, and communities, and the environment in which they live...
class and part of her school's special needs programme. Shannon's reasons for being in that programme were not specifically addressed in the strip, but on a detailed section of the official website. Shannon was based on Lynn's former brother-in-law's stepdaughter, Stephanie Haskins.
Ted McCaulay: John's friend and a doctor in the Medical Arts Building where John had his dental practice. He was portrayed as an incorrigible male chauvinist whose only long-term relationship was with his mother. He dated Connie Poirier for a time after her relationship with Phil Richards ended, and married his secretary, Irene, just months before Connie moved to Thunder Bay. He was never faithful to Irene and she walked out on him; he did not remarry. In his official biography, he did seem to show a great deal of caring for Lawrence's feelings when he dated Connie and was surprised by his coldness when they dated again, wondering what happened in his mother's last relationship. Its also hinted that he married Irene, out of the shock and depression when he realized that Connie had left him for Greg. He began to cheat on Irene when he found his new wife very dull and would explore his on what he could get away with. His mother both times was always happy to see Connie or Irene go, constantly criticizing them and their faults. She eventually died in 2005, he still lives in the house they shared. He's learned to finally stop womanizing and has began a somewhat normal relationship with a retired school principle. Neither one talks of marriage, enjoying their independent life.
Becky McGuire: April's on-again, off-again friend since childhood. She was a founding member of "4-Evah", as its keyboard player and lead singer, later leaving the band to pursue a solo career. Under her stage name of Rebecca (sometimes Rebeccah), she developed moderate fame as a singer.
Gordon Mayes: Gordon was Michael's childhood friend and was a year older than Michael and Lawrence. The son of alcoholic and sometimes abusive parents, he made his own fortune through buying an auto-repair garage, eventually parlaying that into several successful businesses (most notably car dealership Mayes Motors), with the help of John Patterson as a silent partner
Silent partner
Silent partner may refer to:*An anonymous member of a business partnership, or one uninvolved in management*The Silent Partner, the name of several films*Silent partner , a piece of climbing equipment...
. His wife and high school sweetheart Tracey helps him run the gas station, but spends much of her effort being a housewife and mother. They have two children, Paul and Rosemary, for whom Elizabeth and April were frequent babysitters. Prior to getting married, Gordon confronted his parents, saying he wanted them out of his life and their bad influence would be poisonous for his marriage. When his parents learned that Gordon's marriage had issue, they have worked to seek sobriety treatments and counseling to cure them of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
in the hopes that they can become good grandparents to Gordon's children. Gordon has been the second most cited character to raise controversy (the first being Lawrence for his homosexuality), as author Lynn Johnston has said she dealt with numerous complaints stating that most children from broken homes usually grow up to be part of drugs, and that Gordon's portrayal as an abused boy who grew up to become a successful business owner as well as a dedicated husband and father is unrealistic and too much of a "happy ending". Johnston has defended her portrayal of Gordon on the basis that she believes with hard work and a strong moral code it is possible for those who had adverse pasts to rise above it.
Tracey Mayes (née Wells): Tracey was first introduced when Gordon and Michael were in high school. Originally Tracey had been Michael's date to a semi-formal dance, but Michael had been mortified by a bad case of acne
Acne
Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...
. Not wanting to abandon Tracey and seeing how Gordon was struggling with datelessness, Michael set Gordon up with Tracey. The relationship of Tracey and Gordon was one of the more unique couples in FBoFW in that it started out slow, with both Gordon and Tracey worried that romance would sour a good friendship. However, in time the "spark" flared up, and it led to a rocksteady marriage. Tracey is both a good business partner of Gordon's as well as a devoted wife and mother to two children.
Connie Poirier: Mother of Lawrence, and Elly's closest friend since their days at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. According to Lynn Johnston's retrospective A Look Inside...[FBOFW], Connie was intended to be both a feminist shrew and a villainous counterpart to Elly Patterson, and was named for an incompetent art teacher Lynn had had in high school, but the character mellowed within a few weeks to a struggling single mother, and gradually evolved into Elly's closest friend. Connie was previously married to Peter Landry, who was for many years assumed to be Lawrence's father, but in a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
storyline in the summer of 1998, Connie revealed that she had met Brazilian doctor Pablo da Silva after university while they were both working in Ecuador as part of a travelling medical team; Connie had become pregnant and assumed that Pablo would return to Canada with her but, when he did not, she decided to raise their son alone. Connie also had relationships with Elly's brother Phil and John's friend Ted, then married Greg Thomas, becoming stepmother to his daughters Gayle and Molly. Connie was initially reluctant to accept Lawrence's coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
when he revealed his homosexuality to her as a teenager.
Lawrence Poirier: Michael's best friend since childhood and still is. In 1993, it was revealed that Lawrence is a homosexual. He hired Elizabeth to work for his landscaping business, Lakeshore Landscaping, for two summers. His partner was Nicholas Browne.
Olivia "Lovey" Saltzman: Michael and Deanna's landlady in Toronto. Lovey had a warm friendship with Michael and Deanna from the start of their tenancy, often helping out the couple by preparing meals and babysitting. She arranged for them to move into her building's larger apartment at a discounted rate to accommodate their growing family. She reveals that her parents named her in honor of the actress Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland
Olivia Mary de Havilland is a British American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 and 1949. She is the elder sister of actress Joan Fontaine. The sisters are among the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.-Early life:Olivia de Havilland...
.
Josef Myron "Weed" Weeder: A professional photographer who was Michael's university friend, roommate and later journalistic partner. Weed had a strained relationship with his wealthy family, especially his father who initially wanted him to abandon photography and join the family business. His father finally reconsidered Weed's photography business and was impressed enough to heavily invest into it.
Minor characters
Eva Abuya: April's friend and classmate, who replaced Becky McGuire as the singer in the band 4Evah, leading it to be renamed 4Evah & Eva. She's taken the mantle of April's best friend, since Becky's drift from her old friends. She and Duncan both appear to like one another. When April's family moves out of the house, Eva notices April's spoiled attitude and believes she should be grateful.Duncan Anderson: April's classmate and band mate in the group 4Evah & Eva.
Ruby Andrews: Candace's aunt. She owned a convenience store in North Bay, where her niece and Elizabeth went to university. Ruby was mugged while minding the store. She recovered and sold the business.
Thelma Baird: A kindly old woman who was the Patterson family's neighbour. A breeder of English sheepdogs, Thelma gave a puppy to her neighbours, who named him Farley. (Johnston chose the name to honour the Canadian writer Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat
Farley McGill Mowat, , born May 12, 1921 is a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian North, such as People of the...
.) Thelma moved into a seniors' residence where she became close to Ed. Thelma's death in 1988 was the first in FBorFW.
Jean Baker: John's longtime assistant at the dental clinic. In 1985 she had a daughter named Brittany.
Warren Blackwood: A helicopter pilot who kept up a long-distance friendship (with romantic overtones) with Elizabeth. In the spring of 2008 he visited Elizabeth with hopes of a deeper relationship, but discovered that she was engaged to Anthony. Warren wished Elizabeth well with Anthony, who in turn hoped he would find the right woman, and the two parted ways peacefully. In his biography on the official website, its shown that he has a brother and is an uncle to two boys and a girl.
Rhetta Blum: Michael's third girlfriend, from his later high school years. Their relationship ended during Michael's time at university: he dreamt of travelling and seeing the world and she wanted to stay at home in Milborough near her family. They reunited briefly, but Michael's growing attraction to Deanna and his discovery that Rhetta had met someone new led to him ending their relationship amicably by e-mail.
Nicholas Browne: Lawrence's domestic partner with whom he co-owned a landscaping business in Milborough, Lakeshore Landscaping.
Howard Bunt: An employee at Lawrence Poirier's landscaping business who stalked and assaulted Elizabeth in the summer of 2005. He was stopped by Anthony Caine and soon after was fired by Lawrence. He was eventually charged (the exact charge was never specified) and stood trial. On February 22, 2007, he was found guilty and sentenced to two years less a day in prison to be served without parole, and to also be placed in psychiatric treatment.
Françoise (Francie) Caine: Daughter of Anthony and Thérèse Caine who was born on March 7, 2005. She is in Anthony's custody. She has her father wrapped around her finger and even got him into shaving off his mustache; finding it that it made him old. She misses her mother deeply. When she does see her mother for a rare moment, she tells her mother that all she wants is her and not the presents she sends. She's given a sorta heartbreaking moment when her mother leaves her with an empty promise that she'll see her again. While Francie was unsure of what to think of her father's relationship with Elizabeth, the two have grown a bond together. She was a flower girl at Elizabeth and Anthony's wedding and seemed happy on the idea of being part of her family.
Thérèse Caine (née Arsenault): Anthony's long-suffering first wife. The two had a contentious relationship, made worse due to Anthony still harboring feelings towards his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth and possible pressures from both sides of their families. When they were together Thérèse was constantly paranoid that Anthony was cheating on her, even accusing Gordon's wife of hitting on him. Thérèse did not want to give up her career to become a stay at home mother like her family wanted. When she's pregnant she's very unease with the situation, but goes along with the pregnancy due to her parents pressure. While Anthony was thrilled to be a parent, she was the opposite; possibly hinting postpartum depression. To please his wife, Anthony agreed to give up work and become a stay at home dad/and allow Thérèse to become the family earner. Once the child was born, Anthony forced on the deal, continuing to work while taking care of Francoise, while Therese continued her work. On the official website biography, when Thérèse's depression gets worse, Anthony tries to be supportive and more than anything find her help. While she did, it only helped her with what she wanted; which was getting a high career job. Her therapy didn't seem to include how she could bond with her daughter or fix her marriage. During the months, while she was distant with Anthony she seemed happier. This made him happy, but not for long when she coldly announced she was having an affair with a client. The affair stunned Anthony, but more was that she left Francoise with him as if she were a piece of property. Even when she left him, she blames him for "not being man enough" for her, but stops realizing that he's been doing something she still won't. Being a parent, she leaves telling him they could had made a team(meaning in business). Her last appearance in the strip was a Christmas meeting with Elizabeth and Francie in the mall, where Thérèse revealed that she had been sending presents to her daughter. However, she had seen little or almost no time with Francie. Rather than take the chance to bond with her daughter, Thérèse quickly bolted out of the mall. In the biography, its hinted that things with her lover are going sour, but Anthony harbors no ill will towards her. Anthony believes she's still finding herself and hopes every bit of happiness for her.
Everett Callahan: John's associate at the dental practice, a young dentist who is up-to-date with current techniques and procedures. John intended to turn the practice over to Everett when John retired. In the monthly letters, John occasionally referred to his associate as "Elliot."
Eric Chamberlain: Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend from university and roommate of Rudy, later Candace's boyfriend. Elizabeth moved in with Eric after her first year, but broke off the relationship when she caught him seeing another woman.
Gary Crane: The headmaster of the elementary school in Mtigwaki where Elizabeth taught. In one arc he yelled at Mitigawi children who were looking at Elizabeth baking cookies through her window in order to discourage Peeping Tom
Peeping Tom
Peeping Tom is a nickname commonly given to voyeurs, particularly males. It originated with the legend of Lady Godiva, when a man named Tom watched her during her nude ride and was struck blind or dead.It may also refer to:In music...
behavior. While Elizabeth admitted to Gary she felt the kids were doing it innocently, he replied they needed to be taught respect for other people's privacy, then later offered to help Elizabth adjust to Indian village life by sharing his hobby of fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. His surname was given as Crow on the 11 August 2008 strip when he and Vivian arrived for Elizabeth and Anthony's wedding. The strip on the official site was quickly fixed during the day, but copies posted elsewhere and printed in newspapers retained the error.
Vivian Crane: Gary's wife. She ran the medical station in Mtigwaki.
Rudy Dodd: Candace's boyfriend. Once a roommate of Eric Chamberlain's at Nipissing University, he met Candace through Elizabeth and Eric and bonded with her instantly as, like her, he also had a troubled home life growing up. In Candace's biography on the website, it is said that she and Rudy are domestic partners. Most likely due to their trouble home lives, neither one feels comfortable with being married. But they are shown to be very happy and are thinking of having child together.
Susan Dokis: A young woman of Native descent who replaced Liz as the primary grades teacher at the school in Mtigwaki. She was also a childhood friend of Paul Wright. Elizabeth broke off her relationship with Paul when she returned to Mtigwaki a day earlier than planned and found him at Susan's house. In the website official biography, although the breaking of the relationship is sorta halfway on both ends, Susan clearly blames Elizabeth in the relationship and believes that Paul and Elizabeth didn't have anything special. Possible sign of either frustration or jealousy.
Sharon Edwards: Elizabeth's favourite teacher during her middle school years; Sharon inspired her greatly by building a teaching career despite being a paraplegic (there was an inconsistency in how she acquired her disability: in one strip she states that she was badly injured in a motorcycle crash as a teenager; earlier quotes infer that she was a wheelchair user from early childhood at least). Recently married and became Sharon Taylor.
Brian Enjo: Michael's former classmate and the son of Keith and Carol Enjo, neighbors of the Pattersons. Moved to Japan and married a Japanese woman, Junko. He and Micheal still talk through e-mails.
Dawn Enjo: She became Elizabeth's friend when her family moved into Connie Poirier's former home. She was a descendant of Japanese-Canadian immigrants. She became a graphic designer in Ottawa and married David.
Gerald Forsythe / Delaney (both surnames were used in the strip): April's boyfriend; also a member of the band 4Evah & Eva. He decided to forego university to become a full-time musician, and accepted Becky's offer to tour with her band for the summer. The two have had many disagreements one over how he acted in front of the guys, his treatment over her friend Shannon, and how she felt betrayed when he took Becky's offer. But she's let them go and accepted that at some point the relationship wouldn't last. At some point, she and Gerald break up, its hinted at the epilogue of For Better or For Worse. April is said to live in the country and to have a country boyfriend, which is unlikely to be Gerald as he wanted to be famous with his music career.
Luis Guzman: Replaced Becky McGuire as keyboard player in the band 4Evah.
Jeremy Jones: Classmate of April. In elementary school, he mercilessly bullied her while she countered with an insulting song ("Wormy, germy Jeremy Jones"). The conflict culminated with an incident where Jeremy tried to run April down in a bicycle chase, only to crash into an oncoming car and suffer severe injuries. Since April showed the compassion to stay and call for help as well as being the only child to visit him in the hospital, they reached a truce of sorts after the accident, but they rarely spoke to each other.
Melville & Winnie Kelpfroth: They moved into the apartment below Michael and Deanna's at Lovey Saltzman's property. He and his wife are childless and didn't like the noise or clutter caused by Meredith and Robin Patterson, banging a broom on the ceiling at any noise from upstairs. Damage done to the ceiling prompted Lovey Saltzman to begin eviction proceedings. Melville smoked a cigar despite the "No Smoking" clause in his tenancy agreement, which led to the fire that destroyed most of the building. After the fire they were reported to be in "serious condition" and did not appear again in the strip between then and the final original strip in 2008.
Kortney Krelbutz: Former assistant at Elly's bookstore. April suspected Kortney of assisting in a burglary and was threatened by Kortney when she confronted her. Elly preferred to think well of Kortney and dismissed April's concerns. Moira fired Kortney while Elly was on holiday in Mexico, resulting in Elly having to confront facts such as Kortney embezzling bookstore money and covering it up by forging receipts to nonexistant charities
False flag
False flag operations are covert operations designed to deceive the public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by other entities. The name is derived from the military concept of flying false colors; that is flying the flag of a country other than one's own...
. Kortney retaliated by filing a wrongful-termination lawsuit, but nothing came of it, particularly after it was revealed that Moria and April had been telling the truth and Kortney had been an accessory in a felony theft at the bookstore.
Brad Luggsworth: A grade-school classmate of Michael who bullied him in his elementary school days. While he was a bully he had a soft spot for his hard-working mother. He significantly cleaned up his act as an adult and became a policeman following an enlistment in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
. He investigated a felony theft at Elly's bookstore in 2000, which Elly was surprised to see how mature and good-looking he was in a police uniform, having last seen him as a kid who bothered Michael. On the official website biography, its hinted that Brad's father abused his mother to the point that she had to go to the hospital. This left a hard impression on him as a child. Both his parents are divorced, and his father was in jail. With some determination and possibly some small encouragement from a kind police officer, it fueled Brad to be a better man. He's since gotten happily married to a woman named Lisa and is now the proud father young son and an infant daughter.
Laurie McLeod-Shabogesic: Laurie is a real person living in Northern Ontario, and Lynn put her in the strip as a teaching assistant who helped out at Liz's school on the reserve. Laurie's real-life husband Perry and son Falcon also collaborated with Johnston on the Mtigwaki series of strips.
Martha McRae: Michael's second girlfriend, whom he met at summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
. Following the summer's end Martha and Michael ended up in the same school, but problems arose when Martha had been kiss and tell about her and Michael being camp sweethearts. When Michael failed his first driving test he blamed it on Martha breaking off the relationship just before the test. While Micheal was heartbroken, when he would see her again at her work. He realized he felt nothing anymore for her. When graduation came around, Micheal told Gordon that she'd regret breaking up with him; and in a sense he was right. In the character's monthly letters it was revealed that an adult Martha was a divorced mother of twin girls who still lived in Ontario, working for a business near Michael's office. The now full-grown Martha and Michael would meet often for lunch and Michael wrote in his letters that he reflected as to how both Deanna and Martha were childhood girlfriends of his, and used some of his writings to imagine how his life would have turned out had he married Martha instead of Deanna.
Jesse Mukwa: A student in Elizabeth's school class at the Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
reserve in Mtigwaki. It was he who brought Elizabeth the abandoned kitten she named Shiimsha (the Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
word for 'friend').
The New Bentwood Rockers: A jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band of senior musicians assembled by Jim at the retirement home where he lives. Years earlier, while living in Vancouver, he had formed an earlier band known as the Bentwood Rockers.
Anne Nichols: The Pattersons' longtime neighbour. For years a housewife and babysitter, in later years she managed the food and catering services at Milborough's Empire Hotel. A close confidante of Elly in the early years of the strip, she began to appear less often, in part because of her perpetually rocky marriage, partly modeled after Johnston's first marriage which ended in divorce. Anne confronted her husband Steve with her suspicions that was having an affair: he confessed, broke off the relationship. Though she was obviously hurt, she stayed with Steve for she didn't believe in divorce. In her biography on the official website, she did give Steve a warning that if he slipped up again, she'd leave and take the children. They had three children: Christopher, who was about the same age as Elizabeth, Richard, about three years younger and the first birth to appear in the strip, and Leah, who was best remembered for having been born with six fingers on each hand. Anne's children have all grown up and her son Christopher is now married. While her marriage isn't ideal, she's still happy with her husband.
Dennis North: A friend of Lawrence and Nicholas. He was Elizabeth's escort to Anthony's wedding and to a New Year's Eve party at Gord and Tracey's house. Although Dennis claimed to be homosexual, he confided to Elizabeth his feelings for her
Ex-gay
The ex-gay movement consists of people and organizations that seek to get people to refrain from entering or pursuing same-sex relationships, to eliminate homosexual desires, to develop heterosexual desires, or to enter into a heterosexual relationship...
when he was her date to the wedding.
Kevin Smyth: A surgeon who recruited Deanna for a six-month medical mission to Honduras after she graduated from university in 1999.
Mira Sobinski (named Eva in her earliest appearances): Deanna's mother, portrayed as obnoxious and over-bearing, although she confessed to Lovey Saltzman that she only wanted her children to have the best in life and the dream wedding she herself had never had. She delighted in her grandchildren, frequently bringing them new clothes, toys and furniture, despite Deanna's protestations.
Wilfred Sobinski: Deanna's father; a hardware store owner. He was largely quiet, but at times could be forceful, such as when he bluntly ordered his wife to quit worrying about Deanna and that his daughter and son-in-law were quite capable of handling their own problems without her helicopter parenting. When Michael kicked out Mira after her harping on him for having too small a place to support a second child, Wilfred sided with Michael and ushered Mira out.
Carleen Stein: "Weed's" long-time photographic assistant, later his girlfriend.
Greg Thomas: Connie's second husband, and father of Gayle and Molly. Connie met Greg when she was living in Thunder Bay and, after dating for several months, proposed to him. Greg worked for a bank and was transferred to Milborough where he and Connie bought Thelma Baird's former house next door to the Pattersons' home. Gayle and Molly moved to Milborough with their father and stepmother, but had a difficult relationship with their stepmother and both girls disappeared from the strip; it was later said that Gayle had become a midwife, married an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
man and moved to the United States and Molly had left Milborough years earlier to live with her mother in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
. When Lawrence admitted he was gay as a teenager, Greg threw him out of the house, only to reconsider his decision and accept him.
Molly Thomas: Greg's younger daughter, a stepdaughter to Connie and stepsister to Lawrence. Two story arcs had centered around Molly; the first being her moodiness in adjusting to her father's remarriage and resisting Connie's attempts to bond with her, to which Elly attempted to guide Connie. A second story was when Lawrence told Brian, Gordon and Michael of how to spy on Molly through a tree
Peeping Tom
Peeping Tom is a nickname commonly given to voyeurs, particularly males. It originated with the legend of Lady Godiva, when a man named Tom watched her during her nude ride and was struck blind or dead.It may also refer to:In music...
while she was in her underwear
Panties
Panties are a form of underwear, usually light and snug-fitting, designed to be worn by women or girls in the area directly below the waist. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital area , and a pair of leg openings which, like the waistband, are often...
. This resulted in Michael being caught by Molly while Brian and Gordon managed to get away. An enraged Elly read Michael the riot act for spying on women in their underwear and demanded John punish Michael, but John confided in Elly that he cannot be too hard on Michael for hypocrisy on account of him doing the same action at Michael's age. Molly and Gayle spent most of their teenage years giving Connie a hard time as their stepmother. In Connie's biography on the official website, both girls have calmed down during adulthood. They have each married and have children of their own. Both Molly and Gayle accept Connie now more as their children's grandmother.
Shawna-Marie Verano: A high-school classmate of Elizabeth. It was her wedding in the summer of 2007 that set the stage for Elizabeth and Anthony's reunion as a couple.
Paul Wright: A policeman with family in Mtigwaki and Elizabeth's last boyfriend before her marriage to Anthony. When Elly fell asleep on the drive home to Toronto, Paul and his partner let her spend the night at the police station. Elly showed Paul a large glossy photograph of Elizabeth and, when he discovered that Elly had forgotten her sunglasses at the police station, Paul decided to return them to Mtigwaki as an excuse to meet Elizabeth. Elly immediately thought of him as "Mr. (W)Right". Paul and Elizabeth were shown in a loving, close relationship, which ended when Elizabeth returned to Mtigwaki a day earlier than expected. She found out that Paul had been cheating on her with Susan Dokis, his childhood friend and the teacher who had replaced Elizabeth after she decided not to renew her teaching contract. On the official website, besides his infidelity with Susan, it is hinted that Paul became distant with her out of jealousy of her close friendship with Anthony.
Ben: Lawrence's boyfriend. He was seen only once in the strip at Lawrence's high school graduation. He later left for Paris to study piano at Le Conservatoire and Lawrence decided to end the relationship.
Dogs
Farley:An old English SheepdogOld English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from early herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes...
, the Patterson's first family dog. A runt from the last litter of Thelma Baird's dog Lily, Elly felt sorry for the puppy and adopted him. Farley grew up alongside Michael and Elizabeth, later siring a litter of his own with the neighbour's dog Sera, resulting in his son, Edgar. Farley died shortly after rescuing April from the creek near the Patterson's home.
Johnston named Farley for the Canadian author Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat
Farley McGill Mowat, , born May 12, 1921 is a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian North, such as People of the...
due, in part, to the author's resemblance to the puppy. When Mowat confirmed with Johnston that he was the Patterson puppy's namesake, he requested and received an original strip in recompense. Mowat hung the strip above his toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
, "so the men would read it!"
Edgar: Old English Sheepdog
Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from early herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes...
/Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
mixed breed, the Patterson's second family dog, and offspring of Farley and Sera. He was part of April's rescue by barking to warn the family. After Farley's heroic death, Edgar was promoted to the family dog position, and used to be at odds with the rabbit Mr. B from time to time. (Johnston often compares his character to Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
)
Dixie: Shetland Sheepdog
Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie, is a breed of herding dog.They are small to medium dogs, and come in a variety of colors, such as sable/white, tri-color, and blue merle. They are vocal, excitable, energetic dogs who are always willing to please and work hard...
, the Patterson's third family dog. Originally Grandpa Jim's dog, Elly took her in after he moved into a senior residence. Dixie still misses Grandpa Jim, but has settled down into the Patterson home, taking the role as Edgar's devout follower - wherever he goes, whatever he does, she copies.
Sera: Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
, the Poirier's family dog. Connie bought her as a puppy while waiting for the day when she would have grandchildren of her own to play with. After Lawrence's confession of being gay, Connie took her husband's words to heart - "Que sera sera" - and named the puppy "Sera". Sera gave birth to a litter of puppies sired by Farley, one of them adopted by the Pattersons and named Edgar. Her current status is unknown.
Lily: Old English Sheepdog
Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from early herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes...
, Thelma Baird's dog. From her last litter, Elly adopted the runt - as Thelma called him - and named him Farley. Lily died of old age, contributing slightly to Thelma's move into a seniors' complex.
Rabbits
Mr. B: Elizabeth and April Patterson's large white rabbit. His full name was Sheldon Fuzzlewhite Bunsworthy, but abbreviated to simply "Mr. B". When staying with relatives at their farm in Manitoba, they introduced her to one of their favorite rural pastimes, the auctionAuction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
, to which Elizabeth bid on and won a rabbit. When she returned home Elizabeth took the rabbit with her. Michael named him, and April took responsibility over him when Elizabeth didn't want the hassle. Mr. B was sometimes at odds with the family dogs. He enjoyed chewing on telephone and electrical cords, often getting a shock in the process. Mr. B died in April's arms in 2002.
Butterscotch: April Patterson's second rabbit, named for her colouring. After April's school friends found that Mr. B had died, they informed her that a schoolmate was looking for someone to take his pet rabbit. April adopted the rabbit and took her home. Though more delicate than Mr. B, Butterscotch proved to be equally - or even more - full of mischief, had a bad habit of emptying her cage's wood chips onto the floor, and started to get the hang of taking on the dogs as Mr. B once did. Butterscotch also fell in love with Elly's bunny slippers, either following Elly everywhere when she uses them, or "playing" with them when they were in the closet.
Other
Daphne: One of the horses on Bev and Dan Cruikshank's farm that Elizabeth Patterson rode during her stay with them.Shiimsa: Elizabeth Patterson's cat. Though her breed was never clearly identified by the strip, many readers speculated she was a gray tabby mix. Discovered as a stray kitten by Elizabeth's student Jesse, he manipulated Elizabeth to take her in. Initially unreceptive to the expense, messes and shedding hair, Elizabeth came to enjoy her cat. (Shiimsa, pronounced "SHEEM-sah", means "little animal friend" in Ojibwe.) Shiimsa moved back to Milborough with Elizabeth but whether Shiimsa remained at the Patterson family home with the other pets or moved to Anthony's house after Elizabeth's marriage was not shown.
Ned Tanner: Not a person but a grinning, six-inch, anatomically correct figurine with bendable plastic limbs and suction cups. Josef "Weed" Weeder, a photographer who often works with Michael, regarded "Ned" as his tongue-in-cheek mascot, as did Mike, and they kept him in the apartment they shared when they were students together at the University of Western Ontario. Originally a naked man which annoyed an old lady neighbor of theirs; Mike and Josef added a pair of swim trunks to Ned in an attempt to get her off their backs. When Weed fell in love with his assistant, Carleen Stein, he gave Ned to Carleen, to Mike's dismay, who demanded him back as he felt that Weed didn't value what Ned stood for: he was their 'futility symbol'. Meredith flushed Ned down the toilet, but his fate remained unknown until late November/early December 2006, when Robin flushed Michael's socks down the toilet. A plumber had to be called, and in unclogging the toilet found not only the socks but also Ned. As a result of this incident, Weed once again claimed Ned.
External links
- Patterson Family Descriptions on the official website.
- Who's Who on the official website.