By Hattie Dyck
From: Harvey Gullon Greenfield
When Harvey Gullon spoke to the congregation at Valley United Church on Sunday, October 27, 2002, he told how his father, the late Robie Gullon of Wallace Station was saved from certain death by what he believed was the hand of God.
The date was November, 1954. The morning was cold and dreary. Had Robie Gullon known what that morning would bring he would certainly have also termed it frightening. Mr. Gullon was a trucker, and this particular day would be hauling gravel from the gravel pit at Wentworth to repair the wharf at Wallace.
The Wentworth highway runs parallel to the highway passing through Wallace and the road between the two communities runs up over the Wentworth side of the Cobequid Mountain Range and down the other side to Wallace. This stretch of road, is called Grant’s Road as where it meets the highway is next to Grant’s store, a local gathering place for community shoppers.
Mr. Gullon and his partner loaded the truck and started over the mountain for Wallace. He wasn’t going fast as the road was rough with pot holes. Also, the truck was heavily loaded. As he started down the hill, Mr. Gullon touched his brakes to
steer around a pot hole and suddenly realized he didn’t have any.
He pushed the brakes to the floor. Nothing happened.
He was careening down a mountain with a heavily loaded gravel truck, and no brakes. A picture of the wharf and 30 feet of water at the end of it leaped into his mind.
He quickly remembered he couldn’t swim if he went into that freezing cold water.
His partner jumped. He thought of jumping too, but couldn’t bring himself to do it
as he was afraid if he did the truck would lunge straight into Grant’s store which would be certain death for the people inside.
He was terrified, and certain he was going to die when he hit the water. He argued with himself as he lunged toward what he thought was his last few minutes. He just couldn’t jump and endanger his friends.
Somehow, he crossed the road without impact and hit the wharf. As the huge truck lunged toward the water and certain death for him, a hand reached in the cab, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him out. He landed unhurt on the wharf and the truck disappeared over the end of it into 30 feet of water.
He was in a state of shock as a crowd quickly gathered around him. He had just been saved from certain death. He couldn’t believe he wasn’t hurt.
How did he get out of that truck people asked? His only explanation was by the hand of God.
Robie Gullon told this story many times in the community, especially at the Men’s Club. He believed God saved him for a purpose.
Rev. J. Allan McIntosh was a young United Church minister in the village. He was there the morning Mr. Gullon was saved. Now retired, Mr. McIntosh remembers well of Mr. Gullon telling his story over and over again. And, he was very serious when
he told it.
“I’ve used his story in a sermon," he said from his home in Sydney River. “The incident had a profound effect on Robie. Mr. Gullon became a very dedicated church person. He fully believed that God saved him for a reason.”
Harvey Gullon too, is a fervent believer in God’s will being done in our lives.
He once saw an angel in his bedroom. He was living in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
He awoke in the middle of the night and saw an angel dressed in white pulling a basket. “She walked by the bed and out the window.” He was told that vision meant a change would come in his life.
It did. Two weeks later he was transferred to Kitchener.
Also, he can often predict things that are about to happen. When his wife’s grandfather died they were talking at the supper table about telephoning him.
The telephone rang “and I said, it’s too late.”
It was. He had passed away.
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