I was born in Vancouver while my Dad was stationed at Holberg, BC and moved to St Bruno around 1960. We stayed there until 1967.I have a few memories of the base. My brothers and sisters were older so they remember a lot more. Our last name was McGuire.

I was up in Barrie this past weekend for Mothers Day and mentioned having heard that the PMQs on the Air Force (South) side had been demolished. Mom/Dad both indicated that plans were in the works for a whole new subdivision to be construction on the site.

Cold Lake and Namao (now an army base have had a lot of changes. Look on Google Earth and it has some pretty good details of those bases

Don

We were in Marville 62-67 when it closed. In 73 we were posted to Baden and took a trip back to Marville.
We were in PMQ's for 2 years then Maple Leaf Trailer Park. B6 if I recall.....it was a looooong time ago. The cement planter my Dad (Bob Lynch) made beside our trailer was still there, and the tiny narrow roads, but that was about it. AHHHH the memories............

Hi Ken, I took a trip up to a former Base I used to live on when from 1972 - 1974. I went to the former CFS Foymount on July 3rd / 06. It's sad to see the decay and decrepit shape the base is in. However it was good to go and see it again, just to see what's happening with it. I took 125 digital photos while there. Good memories again... Cheers, Dave

I grew up on the civvi side of CFS Alsask until it closed in 1987. I was 14 yrs old at time of closing. I had established good friendships with many of the children from these mil families. I now live 40 miles from CFS Alsask. Work takes me thru there at least twice a day and each and every time I gaze with a longing for the days and people that are long past. I recommend against going to see it if you havent yet. The town, as well as the station are in a very bad way. Nearly brings me to tears each time.
Havent had any contact with any of these children since they left.
Somehow it feels like a part of my life that i desperately need closure on.
I now understand what alot of mil brats go thru growing up being bounced around the world. I have two children of my own now and have vowed to never uproot their lives as ours were.
I would like to say a very belated hello to these folks and wish them well in there adult lives.

How strange..... I dreamt last night that I was back in Calgary, standing amongst the houses in Lincoln Park. They were not gone yet, and military families were still living in them.

Then, this afternoon,(after weeks of quiet) I get this brats message showing up regarding old bases !

%20void(0);

Hi there,

I went back to North Battleford (my dad was in the RAF during the war) and it closed right after the war was over. Saskatoon, where my dad joined the RCAF in 1949 was still a going concern in 1959-60 when I travelled there from Namao.

Station Centralia (1949 to 1952, where I went to school in half the base hospital before the new school was built, was gone when I visited in 1970.

I haven't been back to North Luffenham (Edith Eston School Grade 6)until DND school was set up in a barrack block (started Grade 7) 441 Squadron was temporarily housed at Zweibrukken for about 4 months and then we finally got to go to Marville (lived in Ste. Cecile, Belgium) but go to finish Grade 7 there.

All three of these bases aqre gone, sad to say.

In 1956 we were posted to Namao to 1960 - that base is practically no more.

In 1960 we moved to Uplands, which is now just a fond memory.

So, it seems that everywhere we lived is now a deserted, but lovingly remembered "home".

Kindest regards,

Danny

I haven't gone back to any bases for a very long time ,1972 (Moose Jaw)but the Marville web site was enough for me.To see the photos of all the places where many happy moments were spent in total ruins was unpleasant to say the least. Since discovering this site it has been very enlightning. Some of you brats out there are the same age as my son who is the father of teenagers but no matter what are ages are we have the same upbringing and are very much the same under the skin.

I was in Moise Quebec from 67-69 for grades 1 and 2. Can't remember the PMQ # but our kitchen window faced the St. Lawrence River and our backyard went down the hill to the guard house. Well in 97 I had an opportunity to revisit the base. While on tour with Susan Aglukark, we were doing a show in Sept-Isle. I had some time off so I rented a car and drove to the base. Man, it was like stepping back in time. Most of it was still there although the houses were privately owned and the Fire Hall where my Dad worked was closed up I think. My Mom worked in the mess hall but I didn't lnow where that was. Both schools were still standing but boarded up. I remember the big helicopters with 2 props would land in the field between the 2 schools and amaze us as little kids. We actually went and saw a Tommy Hunter show with Al Churney and the Rhythm Pals, with Peggy Lee as the opening act. I have a pic of our family with Al Churney after the show. I have a lot of pics I will scan and post either here or at our Family website at http://www.members.tripod.com/~AABUSSE/index.html
...lots of memories, lots of stories, but when I looked at Google Earth today I could not find much left of Moise. Unless I was looking in the wrong spot. Any one know?

Was back at St. Hubert and St. Bruno 2007. Took massive amounts of photos. The firehall looked very small, but navigated my way between St. Michael's and "home," no problem. Talked to dnd officer and he mentioned that several old timers have been back. Yay!! St. Hubert is not closed afterall, just under utilized as a heli repair centre.

I just recently went for a drive through CFB North Bay, and was so heartbroken to see the house we lived in had been torn down. It really struck me because we lived there for 7 years and through my teen years. I'm sorry I went now to see it. I should have stayed away.

Hello fellow brats......I think I'm alot older than most of you, but I still felt the loss of my past when I visited Marville 1(F) Wing in 1977, while on U.N. leave after serving in a peace keeping role in Egypt. The PMQ's were much as I remembered (1958-1962) they were mostly occupied by civy's from the local area (Longuyon). When I drove out to the base (1/2 hr)I was totally taken back by the sights I saw. Most of the buildings were standing but had been gutted. The rec center and shopping building which housed the snack bar were levelled. Our old Marville high school was gutted including all the electrical and plumbing. I was so disappointed at what I saw, and wondered that the French people would of been so happy to see us go that they would destroy what was to many of us our homes and lives, for so many years. I was later to find out that it was the Canadians who destroyed the buildings and our pasts. I lived in Marville from 58 - 62, and I was 13 when we got off the boat in Le Harve France. You do the math. I would not recommend to anyone that is contemplating returning to catch old memories to do it. Savour the fond memories you have of the past and look ahead to the future with the same excitement that we think of the past......Jim

this is all kind of new to me.i just found your site a couple weeks ago.i was at bagottvile,1956 and north bay 1957 to 1960.i am older than most of you at 63 this month.a question for you folks.once the schools were torn down on the bases,where would all of the class photos and negitives ended up.does any one know.if you seen the last couple posts in here ,i am looking for a very special friend.i am getting a couple pics of barbra and bev made from old negitives i have.there 50 years old.should be able to post them in about 3 weeks.i am looking for a grade 5 class pic i have but no luck so far.
an no you can not go back but you can still remeber your friends.

don agnew

An excellent question. Where did they go? How do we find out? If we can't find out, the second best thing might be for us to submit our old class photos.

hi beth,i am hopeing to find class pics for 1956,1957 and 1958 from paul davoud school in north bay.your sugestion to post class pics is a great way to start so people who do not have theirs can copy them.

thank you

If you are on Facebook, you can also check CFB Base Brats. They have a couple of school pictures from there.

Beth

I don't know if many of you are familiar with the PMQ area in Saskatoon, but even though I only lived there as a civilian, it is absolutely criminal the way they stand there all boarded up and so on. I hadn't been in S'toon in about 15 years and its so evident being right by the airport and so on. I don't care if it costs a few bucks they really should do something with them

Let's be honest folks, the decay and the decrepit state that we see so many of the "former" bases in is directly the fault of the DND and the former longterm sitting Liberal gov'ts and is just one part of the falling apart of our military. The Liberals tore down our military over years with underfunding and a lack of support. Our forces, who are so skilled, yet are woefully underpaid and under stocked for the jobs they need to do are some of the best trained in the world. Our Canadian troops, when initially sent to Afghanistan were sent in green fatigues, because they didn't have tan (desert) colour. We have to ask and use U.S. military transport planes to get to these far away places, we borrow used Tanks from the Germans to use in Afghanistan as ours can't take the conditions, our helicopters (45+ years old) are not flying as they are in mechanical disarray, many of our junior ranks troops based here in Canada have to take part time jobs on and off base to supplement their paltry income, the pensions for our retired and veteran soldiers is absolutely pathetic especially if they were junior ranked soldiers, Canadian soldiers who lose their life in far away places are only entitled to $12,000 for their families and the families have to take care of funerals, the DND has taken to selling off base PMQ's to anyone who wants one for minimal costs so that they don't have to spend to upgrade, update and fix them. Where and will it ever stop? Unlikely it will be soon as our bleeding heart society believes it's more important to let every Arar, Mohamed, Thurmaranthapan and their families to come and live here with fake ID's, no ID's and by just showing up at the airports, ports and border crossings. It's unfortunate and pathetic when an asylum seeker from elsewhere with no ID or proof of who they are gets healthcare and more money handed to them upon applying for entry than our pensioners get when they turn 65 isn't it?

Hear!Hear! My son was in the Militia and several of his friends went regular. For the most part they all got out. My grandson is now following the trait and I only hope he stays only part time. My dad retired in 1965 and said he was happy because the Armed Forces sure weren't what they used to be.. It shows the downgrade has been going on for a very long time. The Military is looked down on because the public thinks they have a free ride. They believe they don.t pay taxes or even rent for the PMQ's. It used to be great to be a base brat but its too sad the way our way of life has gone to the dogs.

well Dave...we meet again....hehe anyway, I kind of agree about the government thing except going through history some of the worst years for defence were "conservative" ones, and the current bunch have been there two years and despite all the rhetoric have done little to change things. It seems it is not a "sexy" enough issue for them

many of you were to young to remeber the goverment when the "arrow" was destroyed.that was the start of the downslide of canada's military.we gave in to american pressure because it would have hurt there air industry.if i am not mistaken we have to ask the american goverment now if we wish to produce weapons of war for our military.our own goverments have sold us down the drain years ago.that is both parties did it and still do.

We were hoping to make it to the Metz gathering next October but, alas, our other holiday plans are getting in the way. It would have been fun to stomp around all of the old sites, even if there is not much evidence of our having been there. I looked at Google Earth for this area and was able to identify where the trailer park was located in the village of Peltre but had no luck clearly identifying where all of the trailers were situated or where the other features we "fondly" remember (old Chateau Crepe or the honey pit) were located.

Anybody else live in the Metz trailer park?

Jim

The only base still in operation that I lived on is Base Borden. Centralia, clinton, puntzi Mtn, rockcliffe, downsview, are all closed. I would love to get together for a reunion some day

Well a few years ago my mum, sister and my son went to Greenwood Nova Scotia. Our townhouse on Jordan (#16 I think)Ave. was being torn down so my mum wanted one last look. As my mum stood guard outside of the fence, my son and sister jumped over the fence to have one last look. Wouldn't you know it but the MP's came by. They questioned what they were doing there so my little old mother (75 years lod) told him the story of how her daughter (me) was born in Nova Scotia and that her son wanted to see the place. He said that they should move on then he left. My mum wanted to see more so again there they stood. Along came security and questioned them again. Mum repeated her story about living there and how her husband was in the service and stationed there. Well this gentleman asked her her name and what her husbands name is as he used to work there as well then became sercurity when he retired. When my mum mentioned my dad's name (W.O. Gerry (Germaine)Hogue) this man told her that he used to work with my dad. Hmm, I can't remember his name but that made my mum feel good. My dad passed away in 1981...3 1/2 years after moving from Borden. We lived there from 1973-1977.

I also went to Borden a few years back to see our old living quarters. We lived at 101 School Street. It was nice to see it again but I'm not too sure but I think the street shrank lol. Well back in 2007 I went back there again and our house was gone. Best years in Borden. I loved being a "brat" which is where I got my username of "xbrat".

Not too sure Jim if my family lived in trailer park but they did live in France. My older sister Cheryl was born there in 1963 and I believed my parents lived there from 1959 or 1960-1963. I have older siblings some of who would have beeen in their teens in France.
Just wondering if you know anything about citizenship for military children born in overseas country? As I said my sister Cheryl was born in France in 1963. Back when she was 38 years old and living in Oakville ON she had her ID stolen. To her surprise when she went ot get her OHIP, license etc, she was told that she is not a Canadian citizen. Have you heard about this? My belief was that children born to a military personel on a overseas base and on Canadain soil there was in fact a Canadian.

Wow!!
I lived at 27 Maple drive....practically neighors.
I went to Barker Public school from grade 4 - 8 (1974-1979.) My most formative years were here. I almost cried when i saw the empty fields where the PMQs used to be. I can't even show my 16 year old son where i used to live and get into trouble.
I guess we're getting old...lol.
I live in Ottawa now and i still pass through the base for nostalgic reasons....

Hi there,

After living at RAF Langar, England,(1954-1959)my family moved to RCAF Edgar, Ontario where (1959-1962)where I completed grades 1 and 2. A couple of years ago one of my sisters sent photos of Edgar and one showing part of our house on 2nd Street brought back a flood of childhood memories of that wonderful base.

I checked out Google Earth today only to discover that all the PMQ's and other buildings were demolished last year. I cried, having been denied a trip down memory lane to connect with my past. My husband was born and raised in North Vancouver and the house he was born in is still there! How very strange, but kind of nice that he has such deep ties in the community.
Perhaps "going back to discover nothing familiar there anymore", has had a more traumatic effect on lots of us "Air Force brats" than we care to admit. Home was always having to say goodbye back then. I will always be a "transplanted Easterner", but at least I've got roots and a wonderful life in BC.

North Bay turned into housing! dammit.

Best Hair Stylist in San Diego
San Diego Top SEO Company
San Diego Installation TV
Plasma Flat Screen TV Installation San Diego
Best TV Installation San Diego
Best Stylist in San Diego
Cheap Lexus Repair San Diego
Lexus Toyota Specialist San Diego
Cheap Toyota Service San Diego
San Diego BMW Auto Transmission Repair
Top Selling Organic Nutrients for Weed
Best Hydroponic Nutrients for Weed
Best Hydro Nutrients
Lexus Mechanic Carlsbad

Hi Brats .. feeling very old after reading some of the comments lol .. I am a double RCAF Brat.
My Mum was in Trenton, Ont (6 R D)in the 40's
she was transferred to Clinton where she met my Dad, they married and lived off the station in Bayfield, both my brother and sister were born in Clinton (1947 and 49), they were then transferred to Morin Heights (Que)(lived in St. Denis) c 1951, from there we went to Mona Pica, Que (100 miles north of Quebec City) c 1953 (defunct since about 65,) from there to St. Hubert (lived on Popular St) until 1959 when we went to Ottawa, bought our first home in the west end, Dad was at Rockcliffe and Uplands before being moved downtown Ottawa, retired from the forces in 63 but had the same job as a civilian until he passed in 76.

I went back to see St. Hubert in July 2012. All the street names were Francicized years ago. Pine Circle where we lived is now named Rue Lery. My PMQ, no 40 burned down years ago according to the neighbours. Only the driveway remains. And all the row houses we called "the brick buildings" have been torn down. A wave of condos and town houses is creeping it's way across the fields that were behind our PMQ and the endless woods that were there full of poison ivy has thinned out and there is lots of visible housing now as Longueuil has expanded towards the base. The schools still look the same. The swimming pool and ice rink are gone. The solid steel and wood playgrounds with the Kamikaze teetor-totters have been replaced by kid-friendly plastics.
I've also been to Cold Lake a couple of times. The PMQs look more or less the same, except a bit run down and many are empty. The commercial center that had the theatre, pool, snack bar, Tomboy grocery store and the BX is all gone and part of it is a skateboard park. Kind of sad.

Interesting to hear from others who were St Hubert Brats like me! I also lived on Pine Circle #6 actually. Lived there 1970-74. I remember looking out my bedroom window at night at the rink and seeing the older kids playing hockey. The FLQ crisis happened when we were newly moved in and the older kids used to tell me that Pierre Laporte was buried under our back porch! what a nightmare at 6 years old!
Remember the Gypsy store just off base? Mrs Andrusiak as my Kindergarten teacher and Mr Bankuti as the Gym teacher? Mr Poole as the evil Principal at St Michaels school. Sister Claire as the miserable Nun/teacher.
Happy times. When did you live there? Did you look at the PMQs on Street view? pretty cool.
I hope to hear from you.

Rick

Hi Rick,
You're not going to believe this but before we lived in 40 Pine Circle we lived in 6 Pine Circle. My family moved to St. Hubert in 1956 two months before my twin sister and I were born. So we lived in no 6 for about a year then moved around the circle to number 40 which had more room. Pretty funny coincidence. I actaully took a lot of pictures of number 6 last summer. Like all the houses it's been done over with vinyl siding. I sure remember the Gypsy store, and sometimes having to climb over the barbed wire fence if the back gate wasn't unlocked. We left St. Hubert in 1965 and moved to Cold Lake Alberta.
Cheers,
Bill

Bill,
That is absolutely crazy that we both lived in the same house! Highly probable we had the same bedroom too! lol
Remember the detached garage? I used to use it as a hang out with my friends. My dad kept an old black 1962 Chrysler Imperial in there. We moved to Camp Borden from St Hubert and then to Summerside PEI. Great memories. I'm now in Ottawa where i'm at the 30 year point of my own Military career. As much as i wanted to get away from the military when i was young I guess it was in my blood. Did you stray from the military path in life?

Regards

Rick Quesnel

Rick,
My dad retired in 1969 but the only one of us to follow in his footsteps was my brother Al who was a forces weatherman but has since retired. My family lived in Ottawa before I was born, in Rockcliffe, which being close to a big city I guess the land is too valuable to let the PMQs stay.
Cheers,
Bill

I made this short webpage comparing two trips my wife and I made in 2004 and 2012 to St. Hubert. Previously I hadn't seen the base since 1965. The webpage was to show my siblings how things have changed but some of you may also be interested. There is no direct link in this forum so you'll have to cut and paste it into your browser. https://sites.google.com/site/rcafstationsainthubert/

Regards,
Bill Chalk

Very cool Bill! nice seeing pics of the old house from different perspectives. I have some St Hubert Pics i'll try to upload as well from @ 1970-72.
Remember the old outdoor rink? some of my best memories were on that thing. long gone now.
Thanks for posting this!

Rick

Rick, My older sister Penny reminded me that after we moved out of 6 Pine Circle in 1957 she became friends with a girl named Janet Hickey who lived in that house in the 1960's, so she spent a lot of time playing in that house.

Bill

Hi Carol, I am not a BRAT but went to school with Joanne Giroux and Jane Ste Marie in 1969-74 at St. Joseph's College in North bay. Would you remember them and if so, where they might be now? thanks! Michele Caruso nana.michele@eastlink.ca

I lived at R.C.A.F Station Rockcliffe from 1956-62. I started school there in 1956. My father was post back to Halifax N.S. in July 1962 after I finished Grade 4.
Speaking for myself those six and a half years at Rockcliffe was an experience that had a profound life long effect on me. Living on a Base or Station in the military is not like living on Civi Street or out in the urban Country. These Stations and Bases were unique communities unto themselves. My time at Rockcliffe was like living in a little paradise in so many ways. I can still remember that day in the last week of July 1962 when we left our PMQ for the last time and drove out the back gate of the station, a feeling came over me that told me a very important and unique part of my life was over. Today, nearly 51 years has gone by since I left Rockcliffe and I have become very nostalgic about those days. Since 1970 I have tried to return back to Ottawa and Rockcliffe at least once every 5 years or so. I almost hate to describe it as a "Pilgrimage" but really that is what it has become. My last trip back was in July 2009, I knew at that time it would be the very last time I could go to the section of the old station where my old home and neighborhood were still standing, for all the PMQ's in the East end of the station had already been removed for some time along with almost every military building. I took many pictures that day including some HD video. Again today as I am writing this blog May 2013 there is nothing left to go back to see but the paved streets. It has often been stated that Death an Taxes are the only certainties in life, but as we are all finding out in time " CHANGE " is also a certainty. We all have our memories now and it is through this latest technological advancement "The Internet" that we can re-establish long lost friends and associates to share these memories with. For myself I have found the 'Facebook website"," I lived at Rockcliffe" and have been able to link up with others like myself whom were lucky enough to have experienced life at Rockcliffe while it was still in operation till 1994. There are many other websites and many former " Brats" seeking to reconnect with their past, so keep looking and searching and perhaps you too will be able to take that walk down memory lane with and old friend again!

Very nicely put, Carey. I agree that there was a uniqueness to PMQ living in the 60s and 70s. We almost had a micro society within larger centers or towns that civilians didn't have the luxury to experience. Like you, some of my fondest memories are of that early time (aged 5-15yrs old). Growing up in Summerside, Camp Borden and St Hubert was a privilege that i will never forget. I don't have a Facebook account (Ya I'm a dinosaur!) so i suppose i miss out on some nostalgia but i have my memories.....Thanks again for the perspective. (By the way, I live in Ottawa now and after I had joined the Forces my Dad served out his last posting in Rockliffe. What a shame that that nice little base had to close...).
Regards!

Rick

Hello Rick;
First, thank you for posting a response. For today's generation the computer is like the telephone was to our generation and they have been brought up from a very early age to take full advantage of this technology. Our generation as I mentioned previously had the telephone and "Letters". To be more specific if you wish to keep in touch with old friends that were no longer living in your area those friends would become " Pen Pals " with you, it was the cheapest means of staying in touch, as the phone in those days had high long distance rates associated with them. However, when the computer and Internet came along and became in more common use in the early 80's I am glad to say at least some of our generation made the effort to upgrade their skills to take advantage of this new means to stay in touch with old friends. The computer will always represent a challenge for our generation but the rewards can be great for those again whom make the effort to learn. I myself have two friends I have known since High School and they are not keen at all to learn the computer! This is the way things have developed.
I would never for a second trade a single memory from my days at Rockcliffe. It was like living in a " Leave it to Beaver" world if I could put it that way. It was so very idealistic in so many ways. However, the other side of the coin ( and unfortunately there is another side ) the whole profound experience effected me in a way that I grew up a bit of a round peg in a world that had mostly square holes to function in. Of course every individuals " Brat Experience" may be and of course will be unique to themselves.
My very nostalgic memories also extend to " Ottawa " in general. My mother worked for A.J Freiman's Department store on Rideau Street in the old downtown section of Ottawa. When I visit Ottawa and I am down in that area I can still see in my minds eye the old 'Daly Building" on the corner of Sussex and Rideau and the old " National Building" that was right next door to " Union Station" now the National Conference Center. I still recall those years 56,57 and 58 when during the Summers of those years my Mother and I would take the Street Car out to Britannia Beach. We were young then and they were all good times.
By the way Rick, your last name "Quesnel". My father was good friends with a fellow whom had the same last name when we lived at Rockcliffe, he and his family lived just outside the City a short ways in a little place called " Vars". Today here in Nova Scotia I know and used to work with a young lady who also has the same last name. In closing Rick, do make the effort to get your Facebook Account set up and of course encourage those others whom you believe would benefit from learning the computer to do the same. All the best to you and do Take Care!

Rick,

And anyone interested in Rockcliffe. The current Google Maps satellite image (not to be confused with Google Streeview) is older and still shows about half the PMQs in Rockcliffe, especially those west of the school and another section in the northeast. It's a fairly good image, taken during the fall colours. At some point in the future Google Maps may replace this image with a more current one where all the PMQs have been demolished, so if you are interested in this sort of thing you may want to take a screen capture of the remaining housing, for posterity.

Regards,
Bill

Jim Eakins,are you the longtime friend of my father?The gentleman who moved to California?

Interesting reading all the posts. Mr. Bankuti was an instrumental force in shaping my life. I lived at 9 Pine Circle for many years. Lots of fond memories of my time there as a youngster from the early to mid 60s.

Robert Gadoua

Hi Fellow brats. Dad was in the Air Force and we were posted at Moncton, Churchill, Falconbridge, and Baldy Hughes. Had the same experience when I took me wife back to Falconbridge to show her base. Not only was it much smaller than I remembered but run down. Like all of you moving continually and not building life long friendships has its negatives and pluses. I would like to hear from anyone who was stationed in Falconbridge between 1960-64

Merl,
This forum doesn't seem to get much activity nowadays. Most people seem to have moved on to Facebook. Two Facebook sites for former AF brats are the Facebook site that goes with this CAFBA forum, and the C.F.B. Base Brats group https://www.facebook.com/groups/base.brats/
There are also some Facebook groups for specific bases like Cold Lake and Rockcliffe.
Cheers,
Bill

WOW! We lived at 42 - 1972-1980...my dad was André Hébert...he was known in the community as a hockey coach. There was a dirt road right behind our house. On the right side of it was a creek - I remember catching tadpoles and minnow. There was a field and then woods. The field froze over some years and it was a huge ice surface. We played in the woods after the field and sometimes crawled under the fence to go into "forbidden territory" beyond the base...but never too long! The pool was our summer hangout...they had a "summer school" program...theatre...gym...we would go to St. Jean each Friday night to play hockey...life was simple and fun...no internet or PS whatever they call it...reel-to-reel movies (my dad was a "qualified" operator of the movie projector at the theatre)...then there was TeenAires (the hangout when I entered the awkward teenaged years...Styx-Led Zep-Pink Floyd...It's all coming back now...I was in the military as a career...was posted in St. Jean...went back to St. Hubert one time to "reflect"...very strange feeling...could even remember a certain smell at the elementary school...smell was still there-unbelievable.

I remember you I think??!!! Did you ever sing at a Christmas event at the base church or something like that...I can't believe I remember this...I think we were in the same grade...Sister Claire...Mr. & Mrs. Poole...Mlle Caron (I think I had a crush on her!)...did you play hockey? We lived at 42 Pine Circle...last house....that whole unit is gone now, but the others are still there. I remember the "long walk" to the gypsy store - my older sister and her 'crew' would go there and take me along to go buy firecrackers. We were there 1972-1980...my dad was André Hébert...he was known in the community as a hockey coach. There was a dirt road right behind our house. On the right side of it was a creek - I remember catching tadpoles and minnow. There was a field and then woods. The field froze over some years and it was a huge ice surface. We played in the woods after the field and sometimes crawled under the fence to go into "forbidden territory" beyond the base...but never too long! The pool was our summer hangout...they had a "summer school" program...theatre...gym...we would go to St. Jean each Friday night to play hockey...life was simple and fun...no internet or PS whatever they call it...reel-to-reel movies (my dad was a "qualified" operator of the movie projector at the theatre)..I remember most of the Pine Circle gang - the Blais' - big family - Nolans - Nicholsons - MacKintosh' - Dubé's - Holme's - Doiron - Landaults - Robicheau - Bédard - Poirier - Anderson's - Guilbeault (I think the lady of the house was a sub-teacher) - Cassidy's...my dad had a couple of postings there, so I ended up finishing High School (they closed the school on the base so I had to go to a polyvalente for my last year - very daunting!)...Thanks for the memories man, especially when you mentioned the "Gypsy Store", that's what triggered my thinking.

Marc H.