Updates

As you know, March is a very exciting month in our clinic. This year, Dr. Hubbel is set to celebrate his 65th Chiropractic Anniversary on March 4th. We are planning to celebrate with an Open House on Friday, March 14th from 2:00-5:00 p.m. We hope you’ll be able to join us for the Open House, but if not, please celebrate with us during the first two weeks of March. Dr. Hubbel sees patients Tuesday and Thursday mornings and may be able to squeeze in a “personalized” photo during that time.

You will see a familiar face around the office, as Debra Hubbel Leguard, Dr. Hubbel’s daughter and Dr. Leguard’s mother will be helping us on Mondays. After her career as an elementary school teacher, she’s joining us again after 36 years. In fact, she was the first employee of Hubbel Chiropractic in 1979.

Karen returns from her month-long vacation in Aruba on March 13th. March is also a big month of birthdays in our clinic - Dr. Hubbel is celebrating his birthday on March 10, Karen on March 16th. Dr. Leguard is celebrating the final year of her twenties on March 26th!

Sixty five years! What does it really mean?

‘It seems like only yesterday’… goes the old cliche’. A note from Dr. Hubbel.

Well it does not seem like only yesterday but it certainly does not seem like 65 years of yesterdays. Years are just numbers, but 65 of them means a lot has transpired. Now as we think back over those many years, the memories that stand out seem to be the highlights of my career.

I have clear memories of graduating and moving to Cobourg and setting up an office, having absolutely no idea what I was doing nor what was expected of me nor what I should expect to happen. Everything was entirely new. A new apartment for my wife Joan and me and a new office, both in a newly renovated older building at 150 King Street West opposite the old West Collegiate. This was a good starter office and the location was visible and with parking.

Joan had recently taken a teaching position at Burnham School so we had some income to live on as ‘Dr Hubbel’ waited for the new chiropractic patients to flock into his office. Interestingly enough, Karen Jones was one of Joan’s students that first term at Burnham School, and it was many years later that the same Karen who became Karen Murray, came to join our office staff when we were on Third Street and Karen has been with us over thirty years since.

The new patients did not exactly flock in! In fact a new patient every few days was more like it.

It meant many hours of being available to provide the chiropractic care I knew people needed, and trying to let all those potential patients of Cobourg and surrounding areas know I was here.

Slowly over the next few months, patients did find out about me and gradually I became somewhat busy, but Joan’s paycheque was certainly much appreciated.

Anyway, after three years we saw the opportunity to purchase the big old home at 197 Third Street, and that provided us a spot to spend our borrowed money and gave us the chance to own our property and the bigger and better office facility as well as bigger and better home.

That Third Street property was in one way a disaster and in another way a blessing. The house and property had been neglected for many years and required many more years and many dollars to make it what it eventually became. It allowed us to gradually enlarge and enhance the office so we could provide the care our patients deserved. It allowed us to gradually develop a home that was comfortable and spacious to raise our two children, David and Debra, and eventually we even had a pool in the back yard because a cottage was out of the question for a Chiropractor who was essentially on call seven days a week.

The spacious office facilities allowed room for new staff which made efficient and effective chiropractic care easier and patients appreciated the experience. During those years, we were busy all day every day with usually four staff ladies. That was after the addition of 1982.

The whole property became a focal point of Cobourg downtown and while we really did work at improvements from the day we moved in, until the day we left, the results were worth every bit of sacrifice. We of course have been saddened to see how it has been neglected and abused over the past twenty years.

After almost fifty years at Third Street, with some vague thoughts of early retirement, we moved in with Dr Paddock and Dr Ito at 9 Elgin East in 2010 and we stayed there for 5 years. Then in 2015 the opportunity came along to move here to 163 Elgin East and make room for Dr Stephanie Johnston and we have been here almost ten years. We are in the right place now!

So, the question is: Why would anybody do that? Why would a successful chiropractor not retire at some point? Why would he not golf everyday? Why would he not travel more? Does he need a new car? Is he not tired of seeing all those complaining patients? Why would he commit to being at the office so early, even if it is only two mornings each week. Good questions, each and every one! Let me share with you (some of) my daily thoughts.

Each morning I have these choices:

I can go golfing.

I can spend a few hours at my office and help a couple of dozen friends feel better.

I can help most of them enjoy a more enjoyable and more comfortable life.

I will help some of them live a little longer.

I will help all of them be a little happier.

I know the families of these patients are happier because the spouse or parent is not hurting.

I know the children will do better in school if they are not having headaches.

But I never was any good at golf! So do you think it is a difficult choice?

If all of that were not enough, the fact that each of those patients also contributes a little to my retirement fund, does not hurt either…..for when I retire!

Add to all the above the fact that I now share the office with my granddaughter Sydney and my other associate Dr Stephanie Johnston. What could be better than that? Having two young ladies telling me what to do after 65 years of doing things my own way… What could be better? Also making the whole experience worthwhile is the caring group of ladies you know as our staff. These ladies were chosen carefully and we are always grateful for their contribution to how well our office functions and how well our many patients are cared for.

Looking back over that sixty-five year period, I would not have changed much. I am happy with what has been accomplished and with the service we have provided. We have not always helped everyone as much as we would have liked, but I hope we have always helped as many as we could, as much as we were able.