Trevor Johnston (right) with his father Ross Smith. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Long lost family

BC man finally meets his birth father in Red Deer

Apr 4, 2019 | 3:15 PM

A B.C. man and his father have a new lease on life after meeting each other for the first time.

Trevor Johnston, who was given up for adoption by his mother after he was born in Calgary, contacted rdnewsNOW in February believing his biological father, Ross Smith, was living in Red Deer.

Within days a connection was made and now the pair is planning what they’ll do next after meeting in Red Deer last weekend for dinner, drinks, and a surprise birthday party for Johnston’s uncle.

Johnston and Smith won’t be taking a paternity test because according to relatives the resemblance is striking.

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“Everybody looked to the two of us and said that I’ve got the Smith blue eyes,” Johnston says.

“It’s hard to describe because I’ve known for 50 years that there was somebody else out there. It was pretty cool to get a hold of and meet all of them, and meet that part of the family that I knew was there, get all the information, get our ducks in a row.”

The tough part, Johnston says, is that his father and two half-brothers always felt it odd that he had never reached out.

“They thought I was always with my birth mother, so they were a little surprised when I told them that I was given up for adoption. I said that’s what had made the process a little longer,” he says.

“We’re making plans to do more, visit more and see each other, get together, and do all sorts of things.

“We’re just looking forward to whatever’s coming up in our future. We’re on the same page and we’re all good.”