News
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Pictures
November 6, 2011
If anybody has pictures or knows someone that might have some, well we need more pics. Send them to the Hutline at admin@hutline.com
I would also like to express some well wishes to Norman Hambrook and hoping he is doing OK.
Also after sending out our latest News Letter some guys have invalid Email addresses here is a list:
Douglas Buttle
Peter Collins
Garnett St.Onge
and Tomas Toth tried to sign up Nov.20/2011 but his email address is also incorrect
so if your reading this News Brief please get us your new Email address
Thanks
Fungus
October 8, 2011
This is a pic that relates to the story..Fungus Amongst Us.. still in the News Section
Visit with René Beauchamp
July 24, 2011
A couple of Old Boys along with Monique who is René daughter took a visit with René at his long-term care residence on May 28, 2011. He was just getting over an infection so he was not at his best, but as Monique told us, he was really coming along. A couple of weeks prior to the visit, he did not even recognize her. Imagine that. He remembered me but as he looked at me, I could tell that he was looking for the person he remembered from camp. I explained to him that I was now 40 years older. He acknowledged this and smiled. We talked about the good old days, Monique had brought a photo album to help. His memory was still not clear enough to go into any detail. He told us a few times that he was doing really well for an 88 year old guy. His charm and spirit were the same. René was still René. When I think about it, he was really special as a male role model for so many boys for so many years. I have never met anybody who had not liked him, in fact, all really remembered him fondly and with great respect and admiration. The more you worked with him, the more you appreciated and liked him.
Wanted to share that with you and the Hutline folks.
On lui soit le bien.
July 24, 2011
If you have changed your email address, Please advise us so we can make the changes here at the Hutline.
Thanks
Fungus Amongst Us
July 7, 2011
Fungus Amongst Us
Is it a lost art form? Was it just a fad that lasted a few years at Camp Weredale? Was it something that had a history to it dating back to tribes of the First Nations people?
The first time I ever set eyes on a tree fungus with a drawing on it was in a glass case in the dining hall at Weredale House. I think there were also some medals and other awards Weredale boys had received from their service overseas and local achievements including athletics. 1962 was the only summer I spent at Camp Weredale.
The dreaded early morning dip in Lac L'Achigan, learning that a MacIntosh toffee bar lasted the longest, getting the rudiments of sailing on the Cupe, the smell of a spilled container of insect repellant, and finding out that I couldn't hold a canoe paddle with my arm out stretched for more than 15 seconds.
The Alonquin, the Blackfoot, the Cayugas, the Dakotas, the Eries, the Foxes, the Grannies, the Huron, the Iroquois, the Jiboway, the Kiowas, and the Lagunas. The hut line. I was a Laguna. Leith Hamilton was our hut leader.
One night two other boys and myself stole a motorboat off of the path to Kilkenny and took it over to Laurendel (spelling) where a few hundred yards away we could hear a band playing at the local watering hole. The boat motor died on us on our way back and with the sun slowly coming up we let the motor go to a watery grave as we weren't getting anywhere fast rowing. We finally made it to shore and pushed the boat out onto the lake and made it back to our huts with nobody else the wiser. This was also the summer that we got the news that Marilyn Monroe had died. I must have collected about a dozen funguses that year. The bigger ones were the most desirable but they were usually not that accessible because they were far too high up a tree to get to. Most of my collection was in the 10-15 inch range. Many moments were spent in the woods looking for that perfect trophy. You had to be very careful when trying to separate the fungus from a tree trunk. Gradual pressure until it snapped off. Once the fungus was obtained, it would take a few days before it was dry enough to be drawn on. A ballpoint pen was the best instrument to use. It left a bit of a dent in the outer skin of the fungus. Trees and log cabins with smoke coming out of the chimney were common themes. A canoe or sailboat. The names of the hut members. For a few years after that summer I kept some of them in my room at home. After a while the "what's that?" wore off from visiting friends and the fungi were fading. They were destined for the dustbin of history. I kept my plaque though.
"Come on! Just keep swimming! You can make it!".....Swimming II.
Colin Paterson
PS…..today I live on Vancouver Island. There are trails 5 minutes away where I walk my golden retriever everyday. A number of years ago I did a 6 day hike of the West Coast Trail. There is something about Camp Weredale that has stayed with me my whole life. I can still hear the water lapping against the shore.
Camper Crush
June 12, 2011
The Camper Crush story was written by Gary Repta, waterfront director in 1964. Campers had been challenging staff to a football game at the playfield. The story is told in the text. There are two copies: the dirty one was posted on the bulletin board in front of the dining room, at the bottom of the cement wall. The other was a spare copy Gary had typed and kept. The bulletin board copy was taken after a few days, before the campers totally destroyed it. As you can see by the type, these were prepared on the very old typewriter in the office in those days.
The Gong
April 23, 2011
If you slide your mouse pointer back and forth over the picture above you can ring the gong.
** Update:
The gong has been moved here.
Wasdale
March 22, 2011
The Wasdale Cartoon has finally arrived and is in the Photo section under Wasdale. Special thanks to Josiane for her hard work and her willingness to support the site. Hopefully she will do a few more.
1990 Camp Reunion in the Carousel
March 12, 2011
Marshall Butler
February 14, 2011
I was searching the net for information about Marshall Butler an ex Weredale boy who became a professional boxer, his career was cut short due to some sort of accident that I don’t have any details about just how it ended, but he managed 25 professional fights, his record is in BoxRec...I guess if you google that and do a search there you can view his record. He fought at the old forum downtown.WOW! and the french newspapers called him “Le Petite Cassius” I had emailed Graham Houston who has been covering boxing for a very long time, since 1963, first writing for newspapers in London, then for the two specialist publications Boxing News and Boxing Monthly in the U.K. I had asked for info or pictures and this was his response:
His record will be in BoxRec. I was ringside when Butler outpointed Johnny Stracey in a big upset at the Royal Albert Hall in London and everyone was impressed with Butler's sharp boxing skills. He was a smart, crisp boxer and was a bit too quick and had too much hand speed for Stracey in a really good, well-fought bout.
Thanks to Graham for remembering a very gifted boxer.
Last Boys?
February 9, 2011
According to my sources there was still one boy remaining after the time indicated above, It's a story in the making and we hope to get it here in the near future. You may need to read this in the News Section
Dining Hall Fire and How it Happened
January 23, 2011
*Notes: Dining Room fire overnight August 14/15, 1965.
The dining room fire was caused by lightning. To this day, I worry, especially in August, when the night air and wind feel the same as it did that night. It was that hot, humid air which comes with a bit of a heat spell at that time of the year. There is a spooky wind that blows on that kind of night and the atmosphere just does not feel right. I was asleep in the Craft Shop, where I lived that summer. It was Stephen Burt who saw it at 12:45am and called out to the others. He was up doing some work on his Swimming Charts when he saw a bright flashing light. He let out a yell that the dining room was on fire. The lightning bolt which caused the fire hit an entry panel in the front pinion at the top of the dining room and the fire spread from there. Mr. MacAdam (Chief) had explained this to me when I asked him about it. They had a full report from both the fire marshall and the insurance investigators who went through the ruins with a fine-tooth comb. Chief had spent the next day going through the ruins himself looking for the pieces of the dining room plaque. He found all but one little piece near the top right hand corner of it and believe me; he really tried to find it. Interesting story about what he did with the plaque, aside from having it re-built into the new fireplace. The good folks at the Westmount Rotary Club, who really supported the camp, were called to an emergency meeting they knew about the fire and they were told to bring cheque books with them. Chief went in, laid the pieces of the plaque out on the table and said: «Gentlemen, I need $40 000.00, the insurance does not cover the full cost of re-building. Is it worth it? What do you think? He left, about an hour later, with the money.
Thank you again, Rotary Club of Westmount.
R. Huint
A Life Cut Short
January 13, 2011
Remembering Frank Crabbe
Frank Crabbe was an ex Weredale boy when he died of his wounds on or around Feb.16, 1966 at the age of 19 in Viet Nam. He was a PFC First Class in the 3rd Marines.I used to sleep with the radio on at night. Probably to CKGM back then. They had an all night disk jockey named H.K. Bassieur who would talk about some fascinating things through the wee hours.In my groggy state of mind I thought I had heard a news report about Frank being a Viet Nam casualty.When I got out of bed in the morning I thought it might have been one of those dreams where people you know are inserted into a story.The Gazette newspaper was delivered to our house and and I began leafing through it to see if there was any reality to what I was thinking. It didn't take long to find the newsitem.It was real.I never knew Frank really well. We were casual friends. He roomed across the hall from me at Weredale.
He was kind of heavy set with dark brown hair. One of those kids that seemed more mature than others.For some reason we once traded radios. I have no idea who got the best of the bargain.
Once in a while on a Saturday morning before heading home for the weekend we would have little chats. Sometimes in the evening. I didn't see him that much during the week because he was Catholic and went to St. Leo's and I went to Westmount High. Thinking back, what struck me about his personalty was, he was low key and easy to talk to. Unlike many others, he wasn't a threat. He just seemed like a nice guy making the most out of being in a bad spot. A few years after leaving Weredale, I ran into Frank at the downtown Eaton's store on St. Catherine Street.
He was working there. I believe in the sporting goods department. We talked for a few minutes and he asked me if I could hang around until his break and we could go and grab a coffee. I did and we did.
I can't recall what we talked about.I never saw Frank again.
I never had any idea that he was interested in joining the military.In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have thought about him much either if events hadn't unfolded as they did. We have all met people in our lives who we liked who ended up fading away. Life moves along.
In the mid 90s I was running my own company in Vancouver and was buying a lot of product from an American supplier in Plano, Texas just outside of Dallas. Every year this company would pay for a 3 day trip to a city in the US for their bigger customers. One year it was Washington, DC.
I took in all the things I had seen in the old Jimmy Stewart movies. The Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument. The Viet Nam Memorial Wall was designed by a Chinese American student. It is in the shape of a gradual vee. The vee extends for quite a number of yards. I believe the wall is made out of black granite. The names of the dead soldiers are listed chronologicly and not alphabetically with the earlier soldiers who died at the beginning of the wall on the left and the later cauualties ending on the right. You have to get assistance to find out where the person you are looking for is located. I think there are something like 50, 000 names. A vet sitting at a table told where to find Frank's name.
My eyes scrolled up and down and there it was. Frank Crabbe. With 2 B's and an E. I placed my hand on Frank's name and a bit of a tear came to my eye. I was saddened that this decent guy had had his life cut short by such a useless bloody war. I wondered why he had ever chosen to join the marines. He seemed to be doing OK for a young guy at Eaton's. Maybe it was break up with a girlfreind. Maybe it was belonging to a group. Maybe it was the adventure. Maybe it was a way of getting a post secondary education after his tour. Maybe.Maybe Maybe. There were other Weredale boys that served in Viet Nam. We all have different reasons for the things we do and have done. In itself, Weredale was a bit of hell for many. War is another hell most of us will never have to experience. These many years later, I still find it sad that Frank never got to live a full life. He deserved better.
Colin Paterson
Could of happened than
December 15, 2010
This is a related response to the article in our News Letter on the Dining hall fire
A short note to say that I appreciate the recent newsletter you sent to me.I left before the Kitchen fire at camp but if you can handle old news I remember working at the Camp Kitchen years ago when I helped the old lady we called Cook learn how to fly inside the kitchen .She had asked me to light the old huge gas ovens to prepare for breakfast and lunch.It was my first experience with Gas and probably my last because I threw the wooden matches in and closed the doors.20 minutes later she wondered why there was no heat and put another match in and she was blown across the kitchen as All the gas ignited .She was okay but didn't ask me to light them again or talk to me for awhile.It was an interesting time because the same day she overcooked the roasts for dinner.Camp it seemed was a series of adventures and a sense of humour sure helped .By the way I really liked the Winter photos you recently added.Tks for you and your son’s efforts.
Kal Holloway
Musical Memories - squawk box
November 30, 2010
One of the things that I am thankful for during my stay at Weredale is my appreciation for music. Some of the best times we enjoyed were always accompanied by one tune or another playing over the p.a. system. To this day every time a tune that was played then airs it brings those memories back. It is a pleasant reminder of fun and friendships, the music bouncing off the water while canoeing or boating, laying around in the huts during rainy days, competitive rivalries, wonderful images of the lake, the rock, and the grounds that we enjoyed for two months of the year. So music is important to me and I know that I carried on the legacy by always playing music in my house hopefully engendering musical memories of their own to my kids. So I must tip my hat to R.H and all those involved for this appreciation of the importance of music in my life.
Andre Claveau
A picture of a squawk box upper right hand corner - photo taken from Promo picture 1950's
Lorne Gee
November 27, 2010
In response to the email below, We regret to inform you that Lorne has passed away early today. Our deepest sympathy and a very special thank you to Andrea for supporting this family.
Hello, I do not have much info but my Uncle was at Weredale House I believe it would have been in the late 50s or early 60s. His name is Lorne Gee. One of his good friends was Victor Maleric’s brother. My Uncle took a bad fall a few days ago and his status does not look so good. He currently lives in WinnipegMB. He went to the Vietnam war as a Canadian. I am wondering if you could ask if anyone knew of him? Thank you very much. you can contact me at Kevin_Gee@canadacartage.com
Kevin Gee
Juking Out
August 24, 2010
When I was in my early teens I lived at the Montreal Home for Boys, otherwise known as Weredale House. It was home to 175 boys aged about 8 to 19. We were closely watched most of the time and the building was surrounded by very high chain link fences.
Getting out illegally was difficult but we were always looking for openings of any kind. We realized that there was a weak spot in the security. We had a fastball league that played on an asphalt 'field' with lines and bases painted on the asphalt. If someone hit a foul ball to the left and very high it would go over the fence onto some high grass and railroad tracks. The ball would often disappear in the grass and someone would be sent over the fence to look for it.
We would arrange for one of our buddies to hit the right kind of foul ball. One of us would volunteer to search for it but be sure not to find it. In that case you could ask for more volunteers to help search. Once you had enough boys out searching the staff members would lose count of how many were outside the fence. A few of us could sneak away to meet friends at Staynor Park a short walk away.
One fall evening my friend John and his brother David wanted to get out and meet their girlfriends. We made the usual arrangements to lose a foul ball and the three of us slipped away just before the ball was suddenly 'found'. We could not get our winter coats before we left so we all wore light jackets. The evening kept getting colder and the girls couldn't keep us warm enough to prevent frostbite. We reluctantly headed back to Weredale House to break back in before we were missed.
Weredale had only two ways for us to get in without being noticed. The only door to the asphalt field was locked at night but could be opened if you knew the trick. We discovered the trick doesn't work if you have frozen fingers. That left a more dangerous way to get back in.
There was a fire escape that led 6 stories up to the top floor from just outside the kitchen. If we could pull down the bottom steps without making any noise we could walk up the fire escape and crawl across the roof to one of the dormitories. The timing was critical. We had to get up the fire escape and across the roof in the short time between the call for the boys to go to bed and the first bed check.
We timed our entrance perfectly. Even with frozen fingers we managed to jump up and pull down the bottom steps of the fire escape. We were up the stairs and across the roof just as the first boys were in their pajamas. We tapped on a window so they would open the fire escape door for us. We couldn't believe how smoothly it all went. Even with frost bitten fingers we were elated to have pulled off the perfect escape and return.
Our high only lasted until the next morning. John and David's mother had come by to deliver a gift for them while we were out. An announcement was sent over the building's public address system. When the brothers didn't come to the office runners were sent out to find them everywhere in the building. It was soon apparent they were not in the building.
I was lucky and no staff member knew I had gone with John and David. They would never tell anyone I was with them and faced their punishment without me. I would have done the same for them.
Peter White
Dr. Michael J. Cripton
July 22, 2010
I got an email from an old boy mentioning that he can remember a certain old boy being the dental assistant for in house appointments. I can relate to this as I was the dental assistant for my last two years in the home. The boy he mentioned in the email was incredibly busy and accomplished so much. I linked his Obituary in the Links section of this site.
The LuLu's
June 17, 2010
The old wooden flagpole at Camp Weredale was rotten to the point that it might fall down. In the summer of 1961 a new aluminum flagpole arrived on a flat bed semi. The semi made it down both Big Lulu and Little Lulu with no trouble. The new flagpole was quickly installed and the semi started back up the road.
A while later all the boys were gathered together and asked to head up to the hills to help the truck get out of the camp. Even carrying no load the hills were too steep for the truck to climb. Someone attached a pulley to a tree and tied a rope to the truck through the pulley. All the boys pulled on the rope to get the truck up the first hill and then we repeated the procedure for the second one. You gotta love those LuLu's
Peter White - 1960-1963
Bench Trucks
May 30, 2010
Two hills comming into camp were lulu and little lulu. I would say it was 1948 before we went to camp by bus .Until then benches in the back of Trucks supplies by Geo.A.Hall. In those years the camp was for the House boys .Juniors and Intermediates numbered around 100 / 98 to be exact.Their was one hut for seniors .The house that is above the wharf was built around 1947 .Before that it was the canoe Wharf and after as well Their were about 8 Canoes 10 maybe rowboats 3 small sail boats and the CUPI. The camp also had a cedar strip motor boat which we called the munro and I am sure that was the Manufacturer and it was equiped with a 25 hp Pull type motor.(Johnson if I remember correctly)Also around 1948 it was equiped with fire fighting thing. Well Bobby unless their are others write me I will close and wish you and your generation a great future
Robert Isaacson - 1946-1951
Some Info on the Pin Question
May 6, 2010
Best I remember the four points / facets were part of our motto - be to be good citizens
1) Integrity
2) Honesty
3) Discipline
4) ?
smokes
April 17, 2010
On the senior side, if someone lit up a cigarette, any joe blow could say "I'm on your butt"
dimko
Info Needed
February 24, 2010
In days of old, when a working boy successfully completed a year of work, they were presented with a special pin and they signed a book - a register of all boys who had received the pin. Each pin had a unique number and this number was registered in the log book. On the pin, there were four points and each point represented something significant. Help us find what was on these pins - does anyone out there have one?
Contact the Hutline with your info - Thanks
Poem: A Home for the Homeless
December 9, 2009
The following is a poem submitted to us by an Old Boy.
If you have anything you'd like to share, be it photos, art, or stories, please contact us.
-------------
A Home for the Homeless
When I was a boy, I had no place to go,
My mother was poor, and things were slow,
But in ‘49’ I went to a place,
Where all boys were welcome, no matter what race,
I spent four years there, and at the time was quite sad,
But I look back now at the good life I had,
The things I remember with a smile today,
Will remain with me always, Till I pass away.
There was a nice warm bed, and three meals to eat,
When so many others were without food or heat,
The laundry lines, where they checked the tags,
On the good clothes we wore, instead of just rags,
The evening showers and the swim right after,
The Friday night movie, usually filled with laughter,
There was ping pong, pool, and shuffle board too,
Plenty of things for young boys to do,
The Halloween parties, held in the big hall,
Bobbing for apples and having a ball.
Away to camp for two months every year,
Where there always was fun, and seldom a tear,
The swimming and boating we did every day,
And I slept in a HUT called Ojibway,
There were overnight trips, and an outdoor chapel,
Candies and cookies, and the occasional apple,
There was punishment too, when you went astray,
But also rewards, when you had a good day,
It all seems tough when you’re a very young boy,
With no home of your own, which is filled with joy,
But I look around now at so many others,
Who have nothing at all, not even fathers or mothers.
I’m a grown man now with a boy of my own,
He’s lucky I guess to have a good home,
I also was fortunate, when I lived with you,
Mrs.Craig & Mr.McAdam (CHIEF) we all knew.
There were so many others, who were part of my life,
And on several occasions I have said to my wife,
Most boys in the home feel lonely and sad,
But it’s the greatest experience I’ve ever had.
Sincerest thanks for four good years.
Bill Brazier 1949-1953
Site Updates
November 17, 2009
We're making some changes here at The Hutline.
First off, we've added a nice gallery on the photos section. Take a look!
To keep you informed of additions to the site, we've added two rss feeds, one for the news and one for the photos.
Lastly, there's now a links section. If you can think of some links to add to the site, contact us.
As always, we appreciate your comments and contributions. Try and spread the word of the site.
Camp Weredale at 75
July 26, 2009
For 75 years, Camp Weredale in the Laurentians has given troubled kids a much-needed dose of fresh air and sunshine.
The Montreal Gazette has a featured article and soundslide about the camp available to view online. Take a look.
