Fast Lane in A 97 Street... Pool Hall

Paul was born in 1964 in Cold Lake Alberta Canada. The youngest of 6 boys to RJ and Hope Blackburn who were at in Air Force until he was born, they both quit the forces and moved their young family to Edmonton Alberta, we moved into 3-bedroom basement suite with RJ's parents who owned the house in Forrest Heights (south side). With the ongoing problems with RJ not holding work and being an abusive, gambling alcoholic. Hope separated from RJ and took her 6 sons to raise in low-income dwellings (north side) Paul did not like this poor mentality lifestyle and at an early age was eager to make money, started a shoe shine business at 10 years old at the Rosslyn Hotel on 97St and kept rolling along with odd summer jobs and also had a great babysitting job that lasted for nine years. By the time 1975 came around our oldest brother Ray was shot and killed outside Kingsway Bar, He had just turned 19 a month before. Paul became a drug dealer by the time he was 15 and got busted by 17. He finished serving his 30 on weekends the morning of his 18th birthday, with the issues of the bottom falling out in Alberta and the interest rates soared to over 19%. Many people lost their homes and jobs. Uncertain what Paul was going to pursue for a career he took make-up artistry at John Casablanca's in hopes to go to Rick Bakers School of special effects make-up in California that door was slammed shut because of the criminal record and many other doors were closing too. Paul was introduced to the nightlife party lifestyle by the time he was 20, quickly becoming friends with the Klay (The DJ) they had a blast in no time we had a little entourage of party animals, it continued on with the new opening of Rock City and it was out of control party lifestyle. Paul soon had to start working (A Real Job) and was continually finding odd jobs, art jobs and being a maintenance guy at The Greenhouse Bar, Still wasn't making enough to satisfy, he landed a job in Ontario in the gold mines for 8 weeks having got fired for a little fight in one of the rooms, He found himself travelling by bus for three days back home, it turned out the City of Edmonton finally wanted to hire him. And soon was working at Victoria Golf Course and would be there for 20 Years (seasonal) finally ending that Paul would become an operator with 9S5 and started making some real Alberta (oil) money. Paul was 33 and married his young wife Crystal 20 in 1997, they soon started a young family and in no timer he had 5 beautiful children (Calum, Isaiah, Levi, Aliyah and Arizona).