Boys of Summers Past
UPDATE: I received a message from a Mark Daniel on Christmas Eve in which he confirms that the Life Boys became the Boys Brigade sometime after the war. They met in Verdun United Church where, Mark says, there was a room that used to be a walk-in safe! Does anyone else remember this? Also I feel certain the uniform changed when they became the Boys Brigade. I would love to see a photo from the 50s or 60s. I’m still very curious to know where this shot was taken.
FURTHER UPDATE: I shared the photo in the January 8th paper newsletter and received a response from Vernon Turner. He appears to have solved the mystery of the location of the photo, and don’t I look silly? Vernon says it was taken on Desmarchais Boulevard near Verdun Ave., across the street from Verdun Elementary School (formerly Woodland School). You may recall that I worked in that school building for six years when we had the Mission there! I even remember when this photo first came to light, showing it to Shirley Mitchell and both of us saying the spot looked familiar! In our defense, the corner has changed a great deal since the 40s, but I believe the building shown in the photo is still there. An ugly storefront has been added for the laundromat that is now housed on the ground floor; one of the windows was bricked over at some point; overhangs have been added to the closed-in balconies off the back of the building. Still, I believe Vernon is absolutely right and I am slapping myself in the forehead. - Amy
Grabbed from Google maps.
ORIGINAL POST:
I shared the photo below on a Verdun history page on Facebook trying to identify the group these young lads belonged to. It dates from about 1945. Someone had told me they might be Sea Cadets, but respondents on the site said either Boys Brigade or Life Boys. The second picture, circa 1942, is from one of the glass slides in our collection that Dennis Brown scanned to digital format. It looks to me like it says Life Boys on their caps. Is it possible the Life Boys became the Boys Brigade at a certain point? I’d love to hear more about these organizations that were closely associated with our churches (in this case it would have been Verdun United) and any first-hand accounts from “boys” who participated. Also, can anyone identify where in Verdun these photos were taken?
